Prime Minister Tarique Rahman received a warm ceremonial welcome upon his arrival in Beijing on Wednesday evening, marking the beginning of the official leg of his visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The prime minister arrived at Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station at 5:35pm local time aboard a high-speed train from the northeastern city of Dalian, where he had attended the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum.
Tarique Rahman was accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman. They were received at the station by Sun Meijun, minister of Customs and Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of the General Administration of Customs.
Two children welcomed the visiting dignitaries with bouquets, while the prime minister was accorded a static guard of honour before being escorted to the Diaoyutai State Guest House in a ceremonial motorcade.
Earlier in the day, the premier departed Dalian North Railway Station at 1:56pm local time after completing his engagements at the WEF summit.
Members of his delegation include Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Mahdi Amin, Defence Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony and other officials.
According to the official schedule, Premier Li Qiang will formally welcome the Bangladesh prime minister with a red-carpet reception at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday.
The two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks and lead delegation-level discussions aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, connectivity, energy and other sectors of mutual interest.
During his stay in Beijing, Tarique Rahman is also scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior leaders of the Communist Party of China.
Prior to arriving in the Chinese capital, the prime minister participated in the WEF summit in Dalian, which brought together more than 1,700 government representatives, policymakers, business leaders and innovators from over 90 countries and regions.
On Tuesday, he addressed a session titled “Climate Leadership in a Shifting Global Landscape,” calling for stronger global commitments on climate finance, adaptation measures and the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.
On the sidelines of the forum, he held meetings with several international leaders and officials, including WEF President and CEO Alois Zwinggi and Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
The prime minister also attended an official dinner hosted by Premier Li Qiang for heads of government participating in the summit.
Tarique Rahman arrived in Dalian on Monday after completing a two-day official visit to Malaysia, the first stop of his inaugural overseas tour since assuming office following the BNP’s victory in the 13th parliamentary election.
He is scheduled to return to Dhaka on 26 June, concluding his first official foreign visit as prime minister.
