A red carpet welcome and Gujarati culture and cuisines await Chinese President Xi Jinping who will arrive here on Wednesday on a six-hour visit to the State as part of his India visit.
The Chinese President’s Gujarat visit is being viewed as a rare event as Heads of State and Government normally begin their tour of India from New Delhi or the metros. However, major diplomatic and economic engagements between the two countries will take place in the National Capital on Thursday.
From the airport, the Chinese President will drive to Hotel Hyatt near Vastrapur Lake where about 50 industrialists from Gujarat will interact with their Chinese counterparts. Some MoUs will also be signed.
Gujarat will sign an agreement with China’s Guangdong province, followed by another between Ahmedabad and Guangzhou cities for improvement of civic services, according to State Government sources. In addition, an agreement will also be signed by China Development Bank with the Gujarat Government’s industrial promotion body iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau) for setting up an industrial park at Karjan near Vadodara. The agreement aims at promoting trade and industries mainly in the fields of electrical equipment manufacturing and electronics.
In the evening, Xi Jinping will pay a visit to the Gandhi Ashram on the banks of Sabarmati River to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. Xi Jinping will then head to the Sabarmati Riverfront Park where he and Modi, accompanied by their delegations, will attend a dinner hosted by the Gujarat Government.
Gujarat Minister Nitin Patel said the Chinese President and his delegation will be served “cent per cent authentic Gujarati cuisine”, all vegetarian.
After dinner, Xi Jinping and Modi will depart for New Delhi.