PM joins meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman joined a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in China today, Friday morning.

Earlier, Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China, called on the Bangladesh premier at the same venue.

Prior to the meetings, the prime minister arrived at the Great Hall around 9:30 am after paying tributes at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square.

He paid homage to the Chinese revolutionary heroes by placing a special red-green wreath at the monument.

The national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion while the bugle sounded the last post.

After laying the wreath, the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the Chinese heroes.

Earlier on his arrival at the square around 9:10 am local time, a smartly turned-out contingent of the Chinese Armed Forces gave the Bangladesh premier the state salute.

Tarique Rahman's wife Zubaida Rahman and other entourage members were present on the occasion.

The prime minister is now in Beijing on a four-day official visit to China at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

On Thursday, Bangladesh and China signed 13 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering bilateral cooperation in various areas following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People.

At the end of the meeting and signing of MoUs, Tarique Rahman, along with his delegation, joined a banquet hosted by Li Qiang.

On the same day, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) signed a MoU at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Chinese Water Resources Minister Li Guoying also called on the Bangladesh prime minister at Diaoyutai.

Tarique Rahman also addressed an event titled 'Invest Bangladesh' jointly organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at Diaoyutai Hotel.

Tarique Rahman, also the BNP chairman, held a party-to-party meeting with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Senior executives from several major industrial groups met with the prime minister during his stay in China.

Representatives from the China International Development Cooperation Agency, China Railway Construction Corporation, China Road and Bridge Corporation, along with investors, ministers, and other prominent figures, also met with him to discuss ways to expand investment and trade and contribute more effectively to Bangladesh's development journey.

The prime minister arrived in Beijing yesterday, where he was accorded the highest state honours, including a ceremonial red-carpet reception and exceptional hospitality.

Like his visits to Malaysia and the World Economic Forum's Summer Davos meeting in China, this trip was also undertaken with a very small delegation of only 25 members, including 11 ministers, state ministers, and advisers.

Tarique Rahman's visit to China is the second leg of his maiden official overseas visit after his Malaysia tour.

In the first phase, he visited Malaysia at the invitation of the Malaysian prime minister. Despite the brief duration of the visit, he met with the Malaysian King, the Malaysian Prime Minister and other important dignitaries, and held extensive discussions on matters of mutual interest and issues concerning Bangladesh.

In the second phase of his foreign tour, the prime minister traveled to Dalian, China, at the invitation of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

There, he participated in the WEF's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, which is widely known as Summer Davos.

The conference brought together distinguished personalities from around the world, including prime ministers of China, South Korea, Montenegro, Mongolia, Guinea, and Kazakhstan.

The WEF President and CEO also called on Tarique Rahman. During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted Bangladesh's various climate initiatives undertaken in the past four months since the formation of the government.

The premier is scheduled to depart Beijing for Dhaka at 5:00 pm today, Friday.