Welcome President Xi Jinping

All set for the historic visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in the capital today to red carpet and flowers, amid high hopes for a robust thrust towards taking the bilateral relations to a new height and exploring the full potential of economic and trade ties  Dhaka and Beijing. The Chinese president is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 11:40am by a special VVIP flight and Bangladesh Air Force jets will escort the carrier in Bangladesh sky. The visit of Xi Jinping to Dhaka, which is the first trip of a Chinese president in  30 years, is expected to take the existing excellent bilateral relationship between the two countries to a newer height. Former Chinese President Li Xiannian visited Bangladesh in 1986 during the rule of HM Ershad. Jinping himself paid a visit to Bangladesh in 2010 while serving as the Vice President.
“This visit reflects our friendship. It’ll help begin a historic new journey through opening up a new horizon in the two countries’ economic relations,” Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said yesterday afternoon.
President Abdul Hamid will receive his Chinese counterpart at the tarmac of the VVIP terminal of the Dhaka airport. A 13-member high-level delegation, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan, will accompany the Chinese President.
President Xi will leave the airport at 12pm for his place of residence – Hotel Le Meridien.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the Chinese President at the Prime Minister’s Office and they will hold a 10-minute tete-a-tete from 3pm to 3:10pm, before the official talks between the two sides begin from 3:10pm to 4:00pm.
After that, the signing ceremony of the deals and a ceremony regarding unveiling of a plaque will take place followed by joint statements by Hasina and Jinping. The Chinese president will also sign the visitor’s book before leaving the PMO.
In the afternoon, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will call on the Chinese President at his hotel.
At 5:00pm, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will meet the Chinese leader at the hotel.
At 6:30pm, the Chinese president will hold a 30-minute meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart at Bangabhaban. There, a state banquet hosted by President Md Abdul Hamid will be preceded by a cultural programme.
In the morning on Saturday, the Chinese leader will travel to Savar at the National Mausoleum to pay homage to the martyrs in Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
He will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport directly from Savar to board his plane. His special plane is scheduled to depart for Goa, India at 10am. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will see him off at the airport.
Dhaka has already been decorated in honour of the visiting dignitary, with banners and placards welcoming the Chinese leader. Posters with pictures of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are currently adorning all the major thoroughfares across the city.
Thousands of such posters also inscribed with "Long Live Bangladesh-China Friendship" have been put up along the around 14-km stretch from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the main city.
Security across the city has been tightened as gun-totting security personnel were seen at all important points.  
According to present and former diplomats, the visit is deemed extremely significant as the visit of the Chinese Head of the State to Dhaka after a very long time reflects the importance Beijing attaches to the Bangladesh and China relations.
“It’s a very welcoming visit. He (the Chinese President) has a soft corner for Bangladesh and we have been longing for this visit. He visited Bangladesh as Vice President,” Ashfaqur Rahman, a former Ambassador to China and ex-Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, told The Independent.
 “Undoubtedly, the visit is very important. Wherever the Chinese president goes, he goes there with a big package. This time round too, there should not be any exception,” said Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad, Chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies (BIISS) and a former Ambassador to China.

Welcome President Xi Jinping

All set for the historic visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in the capital today to red carpet and flowers, amid high hopes for a robust thrust towards taking the bilateral relations to a new height and exploring the full potential of economic and trade ties Dhaka and Beijing. The Chinese president is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 11:40am by a special VVIP flight and Bangladesh Air Force jets will escort the carrier in Bangladesh sky. The visit of Xi Jinping to Dhaka, which is the first trip of a Chinese president in 30 years, is expected to take the existing excellent bilateral relationship between the two countries to a newer height. Former Chinese President Li Xiannian visited Bangladesh in 1986 during the rule of HM Ershad. Jinping himself paid a visit to Bangladesh in 2010 while serving as the Vice President. This visit reflects our friendship. Itll help begin a historic new journey through opening up a new horizon in the two countries economic relations, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said yesterday afternoon. President Abdul Hamid will receive his Chinese counterpart at the tarmac of the VVIP terminal of the Dhaka airport. A 13-member high-level delegation, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, Governor of the Peoples Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan, will accompany the Chinese President. President Xi will leave the airport at 12pm for his place of residence Hotel Le Meridien. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the Chinese President at the Prime Ministers Office and they will hold a 10-minute tete-a-tete from 3pm to 3:10pm, before the official talks between the two sides begin from 3:10pm to 4:00pm. After that, the signing ceremony of the deals and a ceremony regarding unveiling of a plaque will take place followed by joint statements by Hasina and Jinping. The Chinese president will also sign the visitors book before leaving the PMO. In the afternoon, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will call on the Chinese President at his hotel. At 5:00pm, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will meet the Chinese leader at the hotel. At 6:30pm, the Chinese president will hold a 30-minute meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart at Bangabhaban. There, a state banquet hosted by President Md Abdul Hamid will be preceded by a cultural programme. In the morning on Saturday, the Chinese leader will travel to Savar at the National Mausoleum to pay homage to the martyrs in Bangladeshs War of Independence in 1971. He will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport directly from Savar to board his plane. His special plane is scheduled to depart for Goa, India at 10am. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will see him off at the airport. Dhaka has already been decorated in honour of the visiting dignitary, with banners and placards welcoming the Chinese leader. Posters with pictures of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are currently adorning all the major thoroughfares across the city. Thousands of such posters also inscribed with Long Live Bangladesh-China Friendship have been put up along the around 14-km stretch from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the main city. Security across the city has been tightened as gun-totting security personnel were seen at all important points. According to present and former diplomats, the visit is deemed extremely significant as the visit of the Chinese Head of the State to Dhaka after a very long time reflects the importance Beijing attaches to the Bangladesh and China relations. Its a very welcoming visit. He (the Chinese President) has a soft corner for Bangladesh and we have been longing for this visit. He visited Bangladesh as Vice President, Ashfaqur Rahman, a former Ambassador to China and ex-Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, told The Independent. Undoubtedly, the visit is very important. Wherever the Chinese president goes, he goes there with a big package. This time round too, there should not be any exception, said Ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad, Chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies (BIISS) and a former Ambassador to China.