Deals, deep-sea port high on PM\\\'s China tour agenda

Bangladesh and China would sign six cooperation agreements during Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina's six-day China visit starting from Friday, said Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference at the foreign ministry, he said the historic ties with China would see a new dynamism during the PM's upcoming visit.
The six cooperation agreements are expected to be singed on a 1320 megawatt (MW) power plant at Kolapara, National ICT Information Network for Bangladesh government: phase-3, Rajshahi WASA water treatment plant, construction of a tunnel under the river Karnaphuli, the Second railway bridge over the Karnaphuli at Kalurghat in Chittagong, and construction of Chittagong-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Gundhum railway tracks.
The much-talked-about deep seaport at Sonadia would also be high on the agenda during the visit.
The Foreign Ministry said the PM would visit China on June 6-11 at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang.
It would be her first visit to the country after assuming office for the second successive term. China backed the Jan 5 election results, which the West did not find credible enough, as the major opposition BNP had boycotted the poll.
China established diplomatic and military relations with Bangladesh 40 years ago.
People-to-people exchanges had crossed 70,000 last year and the two-way trade rose to over $ 10 billion.
The Foreign Ministry said during her visit the PM would hold official talks with the Chinese Premier and meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
 A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the PM will depart the Dhaka airport for Kunming at 7:30 am.
She will attend the inaugural ceremony of China-South Asia Expo at the Kunming International Convention and Exhibition Centre and deliver her speech.
Later Sheikh Hasina will have a meeting with vice premier of China Wang Yang and attend a banquet to be hosted by Yunnan province governor Li Jiheng.
On Saturday, the PM will deliver her keynote speech at the China-South Asia Business Forum.
She will leave Kunming for Beijing Sunday. The PM will place wreath at the monument of the People's Heroes.
The following day she will deliver her keynote speech at the China Institute of International Studies. Later in the afternoon, she will hold official talks with her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, which will be followed by a agreement signing ceremony.
In the evening, Hasina will attend the banquet to be hosted by the Chinese Prime Minister.
On Tuesday, the PM will deliver another keynote speech at the Bangladesh-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum.
She will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Yu Zhengsheng.
She will leave Beijing in the morning on June 11 for Dhaka and arrive here in the afternoon.