Kathmandu (Nepal): China's President Xi Jinping has arrived here on Saturday for a state visit to Nepal.

Xi is making the first state visit by a Chinese leader to Nepal in 23 years following his two days of talks in India. Nepal's President Bhandari reached President Xi's aircraft to receive the Chinese dignitary.

Nepal's Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ministers accorded welcome to the Chinese President at the VVIP lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport.

A contingent of the Nepali Army gave a 21-gun salute in honour of the Chinese dignitary on the occasion.

President Bhandari and her Chinese counterpart will hold talks at the Office of the President at Sheetal Niwas today. President Bhandari will also host a banquet in honour of the visiting dignitary this evening after the meeting.

Is a paradigm shift in diplomacy?

Although India has traditionally been Nepal's main ally, China has intensified its presence in the impoverished Himalayan nation, pumping millions of dollars into infrastructure projects ranging from roads to hydropower plants.

Nepal is China's important trade and development partner in South Asia, with two-way trade reaching 1.1 billion U.S. dollars and Chinese investments in Nepal exceeding 300 million dollars last year. Nepal has also been an active participant in the Belt and Road cooperation.

The Chinese president said he would use the two-day visit to "renew friendship and explore cooperation with my Nepali friends" in a signed article published in Nepali newspapers on Friday.

"It is important that we adopt a strategic and long-term perspective and draw up a blueprint for our bilateral relationship to take it to a new height in this new era," Xi added.

Landlocked Nepal is seeking closer ties and much-needed energy and infrastructure investment from its giant neighbour.

High on the agenda is the extension of China's Kerung railway from the border to Nepal's capital Kathmandu. There have been warnings over the financial commitments however.

Nepal in Belt and Road Initiative

Xi is expected to use his time in Kathmandu to push Beijing's mega-project Belt and Road infrastructure projects.

In 2017, Nepal signed up to China's Belt and Road programme which includes initiatives to build or upgrade highways and airports in the country.

"A trans-Himalayan connectivity network is thus taking shape, which will serve not just our two countries but also the region as a whole," Xi said in his article.

Xi will hold talks with Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Nepal,s parliament opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and other top leaders

Tibetans Protesters arrested

Nepal is home to around 20,000 exiled Tibetans, but under pressure from Beijing the communist government has taken an increasingly hardline stance on their activities.

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said at least 18 people were arrested in the days ahead of Xi's arrival, including two Nepali shopkeepers selling bags with Tibetan flags or slogans. Fourteen remained in detention on Saturday.