| Hakim Hayat |
PRESIDENT of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping arrived in the country last evening for his three-day state visit, heralding a new chapter in bilateral relations between Brunei Darussalam and China.
Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof as the Minister-in-Attendance; Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud and; Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof were present at Brunei International Airport to welcome the Chinese President.
Before leaving Brunei International Airport in his motorcade, President Xi walked past the static guard mounted by members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF).
The president’s state visit to the sultanate, on the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, begins this morning with an official welcoming ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman.
His Majesty last visited China in September last year as part of an official state visit, while Xi’s visit to Brunei will be the first by a Chinese President in 13 years.
In a brief statement to the media upon his arrival, President Xi said that he is looking forward to the talks with His Majesty, adding that he hopes that the visit “will enable both countries to renew their traditional friendship and draw up a new blueprint for relations in a new era, and take both countries’ good neighbourliness and friendship to the next level”, so that Brunei and China “could deliver more benefits to the people of both countries”.
According to a programme released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Xi will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman this morning. He will then attend a bilateral meeting and witness the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between both countries. President Xi will also be hosted to a state banquet this evening.
Brunei and China are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their strategic cooperative relationship this year, with both countries looking to take this friendship to the next level.
President Xi in a statement released over the weekend to local media highlighted some of his expectations during his state visit here, stressing the need for both nations to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in regional and international affairs.
Commissioner of the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Mohd Jammy bin Haji Muhd Shah Al-Islam and Commander of the RBAF Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud were at the Brunei International Airport to receive the Chinese President.