Prime Minister flies to China today

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka for Dalian on Monday on a five-day official visit to China at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.

During the visit, she will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian and hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The three-day “WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2019”, also known as WEF Summer Davos, begins in Chinese city of Dalian today.

The theme of the meeting is “Leadership 4.0 – Succeeding in a New Era of Globalization”.

At the tip of Liaodong Peninsular, Dalian is a trading and financial center in northeastern Asia and has gained the name the ‘Hong Kong of Northern China’.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ special flight (BG1720) carrying the prime minister and her entourage members will depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here for Dalian this afternoon.

The flight is scheduled to land at Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, Dalian, Liaoning Province, at 12:25 am (local time) on July 2.

After the reception at the airport, a ceremonial motorcade will escort the premier to Shangri-La Hotel, where she will be staying during the visit to Dalian.

On July 2, the prime minister will attend the inaugural ceremony of the WEF Summer Davos at Dalian International Conference Center in the morning.

Sheikh Hasina will meet Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab at his office and join a panel discussion on “Cooperation in the Pacific Rim” at Dalian International Conference Centre in the afternoon.

On July 3, the prime minister will leave Dalian for Beijing at 11 am by a special chartered flight to be provided by the Chinese government.

The flight is scheduled to arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport around 12:15 pm the same day.

After the reception at the airport, the prime minister in a ceremonial motorcade will be taken to Diaoyutai State Guest House, where she will be staying during her visit to the Chinese capital.

In the afternoon, the prime minister will join a community reception followed by a dinner at Legendale Hotel, Beijing.

On July 4, Sheikh Hasina will join the welcoming ceremony and place wreaths at the heroes memorial at the Great Hall of the People in the morning.

Later, she will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and attend the agreement signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.

The prime minister will join a banquet to be hosted by the Chinese premier at the Great Hall of the People.

Sheikh Hasina will attend a business roundtable with Chinese business leaders at CCPIT in the afternoon the same day.

On July 5, the prime minister is scheduled to deliver a speech at an event organized by a Chinese think tank named “Pangoal Institution” in the morning.

The CEOs of Chinese companies are expected to call on Sheikh Hasina at her place of residence and will hold a meeting with Chairman of NPC Li Zhangshu.

The prime minister will hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Diaoyutai State Guest House in the afternoon.

She will also join a banquet to be hosted by the Chinese president at the same place.

Concluding her China tour, the prime minister will depart Beijing Capital International Airport, China for Dhaka at 11 am local time on July 6 and reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here at 1:35 pm Bangladesh time the same day.

More than 1,800 leaders from government, business, civil society, academia and the arts come together in Dalian for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2019.

The meeting will spur leaders to find new strategic models to adapt to the world’s environmental challenges, regional competition, economic disparities and technological disruption.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), based in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland, was founded in 1971 as a not-for-profit organization. It was granted “other international body” status in January 2015 by the Swiss Federal Government under the Swiss Host-State Act (International Organization status requires multiple governments.

The WEF’s mission is cited as “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas”.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday said Rohingya crisis will top the agenda of discussions during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s five-day official visit to China from July 2 to 6 when Dhaka will sign eight instruments with Beijing.

“The Rohingya issue will come up as a major topic during our Prime Minister’s visit … we do believe, after that, Beijing will take a ‘proactive role’ in resolving the crisis (Rohingya repatriation),” he told a press briefing at the Foreign Ministry here on Friday afternoon.

He said the Bangladesh premier is visiting China at an invitation of her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. She will join the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting and hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jingping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.

During the meetings with top Chinese leaders, the foreign minister said, Dhaka will raise a strong demand so that China creates pressure on Myanmar for taking back its nationals from Bangladesh.

Momen said Dhaka has planned to explain to China that the Rohingya crisis could eventually spread pockets of radicalism throughout the entire region.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh and China will sign eight instruments in different sectors ranging from economic, power and ICT to tourism.

Those are: 1) Framework Agreement of “Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area” 2) Government Concessional Loan Agreement of “Expansion Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area Project” 3) Preferential Buyer’s Credit Loan Agreement of “Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under DPDC Area Project” 4) Framework Agreement of “Power Grid Network Strengthening Project under PGCB” Project” 5) Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Government of the People’s Republic of China 6) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Establishment of Investment Cooperation Working Group 7) MoU and its Implementation Plan on hydrological information sharing of Yalu Zhangbo / Brahmaputra River 8) MoU on Cultural Exchange and Tourism Programme.

Source: dailysun