February 19, 2010---PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is next week expected to leave for China for a State visit at the invitation of Chinese President, Hu Jintao.

According to a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the president for Press and public relations Dickson Jere, President Banda would depart for China on February 23 and would hold talks with President Jintao and other senior Chinese government officials.

During the visit, the two countries would sign various memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in different fields.

President Banda would be accompanied to China by First Lady, Thandiwe Banda and five Cabinet ministers among them Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati, Mines and Minerals Development Minister Maxwell Mwale, and Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Catherine Namugala.

The president is scheduled to meet various investors as well as undertake a tour of some leading Chinese companies before meeting African diplomats accredited to China. Mr Banda and his delegation are scheduled to return home on March 4.
(Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201002181091.html)