Himal Press 
Photo Courtesy: Getty
KATHMANDU: Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who arrived in Nepal on Tuesday, has expressed his desire to meet Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
A member of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat told Himal Press that a member of Ma’s entourage has sought time to meet PM Dahal. “We told him that a go-ahead of the foreign ministry will be needed for that,” the member said.
“If Ma is interested to invest in Nepal by respecting the law of the land, he would be welcomed not only by the Prime Minister but by all Nepalis. But the PM cannot meet him until the foreign ministry gives the clearance.”
Meanwhile, foreign ministry officials have said that they do not have much information about Ma’s itinerary. “We came to know about the visit through media reports,” Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud said. “If there is a request to meet the Prime Minister, we can arrange a time after holding needful discussions.”
The chartered plane of Alibaba co-founder landed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 2:30 pm, according to Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office. He is accompanied by six others including a female. Members of the entourage have been granted a 15-day visa, according to Bheshraj Bhusal, the information officer of the Department of Immigration. “His chartered plane came to Kathmandu from Bangladesh,” he added.
During his stay in Nepal, Ma is scheduled to visit the Chitwan National Park. Likewise, he is expected to meet finance minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat as well as industrialist and lawmaker Binod Chaudhary and his son Nirvana.
Jack Ma Foundation, the charitable organization founded by Ma, had joined hands with Chauhdary’s CG Foundation to build 1,000 houses for survivors after the 2015 earthquakes, according to Forbes.
Ma will also meet Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, during his stay in Nepal.
The billionaire’s entourage will leave Kathmandu for Lahore, Pakistan, on Thursday, according to an official of the Tribhuvan International Airport Civil Aviation Office.
