Dhaka – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Dhaka Friday on a 22-hour visit to hold talks with Bangladeshi leaders for boosting trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, officials said.

President Abdul Hamid greeted his Chinese counterpart at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The 63-year old Chinese leader was given red carpet reception and guard of honour after he arrived in Dhaka.

China and Bangladesh are poised to sign more than two dozens of agreements for cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, power and energy, infrastructure development and agriculture among others during Xi’s stay in Dhaka.

The Chinese leader, will leave for Indian state of Goa on Saturday to attend BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) Summit. He came from Cambodia

Dhaka considers Xi’s visit as a milestone in relations between the two countries since they established diplomatic ties in 1975. This is the first visit by a Chinese president in Bangladesh in the last 30 years.

“It (the visit) will set in a historic new journey through opening up a new horizon in the two countries’ economic relations,” Foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali said.

The then president Li Xiannian visited Bangladesh in March of 1986.

The Memorandum of Understanding and agreement between China and Bangladesh will be signed after the official talks. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lead her country in the talks to be held at Prime Minister’s Office.

Xi, who visited Bangladesh as vice president in June 2010, said in an article published in Bangladeshi newspapers that China always regarded Bangladesh as its true friend and partner for development.

“I believe with the joint efforts of our two peoples, China-Bangladesh cooperation will bear even more golden fruits,” Xi said.

The main city streets of the capital have been decorated with colorful lights and flags of Bangladesh and China alongside the portraits of Xi Jinping and Hasina.

Parliamentary Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will call on the Chinese President at Le Méridien Dhaka.

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