President Edgar Lungu has arrived in China for his inaugural state visit where he is also expected to address the Baoao Conference for Asia (BFA).
The plane carrying President Lungu touched down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai at about 21:20 hours local time (16:20 Zambian time) after it was delayed for about 10 minutes.
ZANIS reports from Sanya that President Lungu who is accompanied by First Lady Esther, arrived to a thunderous welcome by a team of Zambian officials and their Chinese counterparts who braved the rains here to receive the Head of State at the airport.
Zambia’s Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Peter Kasanda, Zambia’s Ambassador to China Gertrude Mwape, Chinese ambassador to Zambia and Shanghai Municipality leaders were on hand to receive the President.
President Lungu’s entourage comprised State House Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs Kaizar Zulu and his counterpart for Economic and Development Affairs Hibeene Mwiinga, and Army commander Lieutenant General Paul Mihova among others.
President Lungu proceeded straight from the airport to Hongqiao State Guest House where he was to spend a night before flying to the seaside resort city of Sanya where the 2015 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference is taking place.
President Lungu is expected to address the Boao conference when it officially opens tomorrow.
President Lungu and his Ugandan counterpart are the only two African Heads of State that are invited to this forum which will host other Government and business leaders and academia.
The Head of State is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for a series of bilateral meetings.
Mr Lungu is on Sunday morning expected to hold a series of other bilateral meetings before departing Sanya for Beijing where he is scheduled for a two- day State visit which starts on Monday.
The two-day State visit will begin with a welcoming ceremony to be held in President Lungu’s honour at the Great Hall of the people-Northern side in Beijing.
The President will thereafter hold high-level bilateral talks with Mr Jinping before signing bilateral agreements.
The Chinese Government will then hold a banquet in honour of President Lungu at the Great Hall of the people-Golden Hall.
President Lungu will later visit the People ‘s Hero monument and lay a wreath at the resting place of Mao Zedong who was the chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 and the chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976.
Mr Lungu will at local time meet Premier Li Keqiang and later meet chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Yu Zhengsheng.
The President will later meet the Zambian community in Beijing at Kempinski Hotel.
President Lungu is on Tuesday scheduled to meet China Nonferrous Metal Mining Corporation (CNMC) top management, the owners of Luanshya Copper Mines (CLM), and tour the exhibition hall at 10:05 hours local time before delivering a speech at the Zambia-China Economic, Trade and Tourism Forum.
The President will later fly to Shenzhen and is on Wednesday expected to visit Shekou Industrial Park on a conducted tour around.
Mr Lungu will later meet managements of Huawei Technologies Company Limited and ZTE Corporation before meeting Shenzhen municipality leaders.
The Shenzhen municipal leaders will host a banquet in honour of President Lungu.
The President will then depart Shenzhen for Shangai on Wednesday next week and is expected to return to Zambia next Thursday.
Noti ukuya fye mukuseya, bring good tidings back home.
That’s our working president. Bravo! You can not put your house in order if you don’t have finances. Bring investment Bwana!
VASCO DAGAMA THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER WILL NEVER BE RECORDED IN ZAMBIA
The appetising word in this report is “Banquet”.
It’s Lungu and his takeaway again. Don’t listen to bitter Nawakwi, just globe-trot as much as you like while you still can.
Don’t wear a blue suit, it’s for PIMPS !!! Keep on wearing dark ones.
But Ba Ester bamulamu nabawama….. She is bathing in mazoe.
Going to ask for a loan . 40% RB ,40 Moses katumbi and 20% lungu . Don’t see any point of independence can’t even look after your own people even for 6 months with your own budget . China will going ever you $50 million .
Despite being branded as a political tourist, this trip appears fruitful economically for Zambia. It’s benefits by far outweighs it’s expenses although a critic will never see the positive side of a perceived enemy .
ZWD shushu have been removed? Because they report these is not up to point always mislead the public. This trip is very good and healthier for the country it will bring development. But Mr President tell the Chinese not to bring unskilled labour here.
ZWD shushu have been removed, but two or three more remaining at OP office? Because they report these is not up to point always mislead the public. This trip is very good and healthier for the country it will bring development. But Mr President tell the Chinese not to bring unskilled labour here.
Why is the presido crenching his fists? The tour sounds very good. The watchdog predicted this tour due to poor health, on the programme there is nothing on him visiting any health center. Can someone tell us the truth.
Take what you read at ZWD with “fistful” of salt. If you have not learnt this lesson by now, kaya mulombwana!!!
The most charismatic president zambia has ever had,he is indeed the obama of africa
Meanwhile, the kwacha will keep falling, mealie meal, gas et al. The little foreign exchange, Lungu has taken it to China. He knows that the west does not tolerate such nonsense. Do you think that Lungu would be received like that in the US, Canada ou UK?
Hey. This newspaper is not so professional. Even me, an outsider can find out the mistake of the time difference in this report.