Xi Jinping arrives in Dushanbe to start state visit to Tajikistan
On the evening of July 4th local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Dushanbe by special plane to pay a state visit to Tajikistan at the invitation of President Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan.
When the special plane arrived at Dushanbe International Airport, Tajik President Rahmon, Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament and Dushanbe Mayor Rustam, Foreign Minister Muhriddin and other senior officials warmly welcomed Xi Jinping. Tajik children presented flowers to Xi Jinping and welcomed his visit in both Chinese and Tajik.
Rahmon held a grand welcoming ceremony for Xi Jinping at the airport.
More than 1,500 Tajik youths dressed in national costumes performed Chinese and Tajik songs and dances with rich characteristics and waved the national flags of the two countries to express their warm welcome to China's most distinguished guests.
Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the airport, extending his sincere greetings and good wishes to the government and people of Tajikistan.
Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Tajikistan are good neighbors who help each other, good friends who support each other, good partners who achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and good brothers who trust each other. Over the past 32 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Tajikistan relations have continued to develop rapidly and healthily, achieving a leap from good-neighborly friendship to strategic partnership and then to comprehensive strategic partnership, becoming a model for relations between neighboring countries. The two countries have strong political mutual trust and have always firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests. The two countries have achieved fruitful results in jointly building the "Belt and Road" cooperation. I look forward to making new plans and arrangements with President Rahmon on the development of China-Tajikistan relations under the new situation and promoting all-round cooperation between China and Tajikistan to a higher level.
Cai Qi, Wang Yi and other accompanying personnel arrived on the same plane.
Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan Ji Shumin also went to the airport to greet him.
As Xi Jinping was driving from the airport to his hotel, the national flags of China and Tajikistan fluttered in the wind. Local overseas Chinese and representatives of Chinese-funded institutions lined up to wave the national flags of China and Tajikistan, warmly welcoming Xi Jinping's visit to Tajikistan.
Xi Jinping visited Dushanbe after attending the 24th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and paying a state visit to Kazakhstan.
When Xi Jinping left Astana, Kazakh Prime Minister Bektenov, Astana Mayor Kassymbek and other senior officials came to the airport to see him off.
After Xi Jinping's special plane took off, three Kazakhstan Air Force fighter jets took off to escort it.