Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Prabhuram Sharma, has left here today for Beijing on an official visit to the People's Republic of China.

Defence Secretary Kiran Raj Sharma and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sitaram Khadka were at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to see off the army chief.

During the visit to the northern neighbour, CoAS Sharma will attend an opening ceremony of 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum and will hold a meeting with Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Liu Zhenli of Central Military Commission (CMC), People's Liberation Army, according to NA Directorate Public Relations and Information.

Likewise, he is scheduled to visit various units and academic institutions of PLA at Xian City, Shanghai and Guangzhou. He is scheduled to return home on November 2.

In the absence of Sharma, Khadka will assume the role of acting army chief, according to the Directorate.