The President of the Republic goes on a visit to China
28.02.2001

On the invitation of Jiang Zemin, the President of the People's Republic of China, President Lennart Meri will leave for a working visit to China on Wednesday, February 28. The meeting with Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and the President Jiang Zemin is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 2. The Chinese President will host a dinner in honour of President Meri in the presidential palace to celebrate the tenth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Estonia and China.

From Beijing, President Lennart Meri will proceed to Shanghai, where he and the accompanying delegation will have meetings with the municipal leaders and the management of ports, terminals and railways. After Shanghai, the visit will continue in Sanya and Hankou, Macau and Hong Kong. In Macau, President Meri will meet the governmetnal leader Edmund Ho and in Hong Kong the governmental leader of Hong Kong Tung Che-Hwa. The President will deliver a speech at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

The President will be accompanied by Margus Leivo, the Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Väino Reinart, the Director General of the political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Signe Ratso, the Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, Riho Rasmann, Chairman of the Board of Port of Tallinn Ltd, and Parbo Juchnewitsch, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Railways Ltd, as well as Tanel Nurmetalo, Chairman of the Council of the CF&S Agents Ltd.

The President of the Republic will return from his visit to the People's Republic of China, Macau and Hong Kong on March 11.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, February 28, 2001