MOFFAT CHAZINGWA  –

in Shanghai, China
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is expected here on Thursday for a busy state visit.
The Head of State, who will be accompanied by First-lady Esther, will touch down in Shanghai ahead of a packed state visit.
But before then, President Lungu is expected to address the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2015, which will be attended by other heads of State and Government and later hold high-level bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
BFA is the most prestigious and premier forum for leaders in government, business and academia in Asia and other continents aimed at sharing visions on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.
The theme for the BFA annual conference 2015 is: Asia’s New Future: “Towards a Community of Common Destiny.
According to a programme obtained here, the President  will land at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai around 20:55 hours local time and he will be received by Commerce , Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe, deputy secretary to the Cabinet Peter Kasanda , Zambia’s Ambassador to China Gertrude Mwape and Shanghai municipality leaders.
Mr Lungu would on Friday depart Shanghai for the seaside resort city of Sanya, where he is expected to address the BFA annual conference 2015 which opens on Saturday and he would be received by Mr Xi at the conference centre and later hold a series of bilateral meetings.
Mr Lungu is on Sunday morning expected to hold a series of bilateral meeting before departing Sanya for Beijing at 16:25 hours local time.
On Monday, a welcoming ceremony will be held in President Lungu’s honour at the Great Hall of the people-Northern side in Beijing and he will later hold high-level bilateral talks with Mr Xi at 10:45 hours before signing bilateral agreements.
The Chinese Government will hold a banquet in honour of President Lungu at 12:00 hours local time at the Great Hall of the people-Golden Hall
The President will later meet the Zambian community in Beijing at Kempinski Hotel.
The President will on Tuesday 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 09:00 hours local time.
Mr Lungu will later meet managements of Huawei Technologies Company Limited and ZTE Corporation at 10:30 hours and 10:45 hours local time, respectfully 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 Shanghai at 19:15 local time on Wednesday next week and leave for Zambia at 00:05 hours on Thursday.