.LUNGU

By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

in Shanghai-China
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu’s inaugural State visit to China is set, with the Head of State scheduled to arrive here in Shanghai tonight, ahead of a tight programme.
President Lungu’s plane is expected to touch down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai around 20:55 hours local time.
President Lungu is expected to 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 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2015, which opens this Saturday.
At the Boao conference, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be on hand to receive the Zambian Head of State with the two leaders expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings.
Mr Lungu is on Sunday morning expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings before departing Sanya for Beijing at 16:25 hours local time where another busy schedule for his two-day state visit await the president.
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 local time 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 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 15:30 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 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.
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 Shanghai at 19:15 local time on Wednesday and leave for Zambia at 00:05 hours on Thursday.
Only two African Heads of State, President Lungu and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni have been invited for this year’s Boao conference slated for March 26 to 29, 2015.