A red carpet was rolled out as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Beijing from Dalian by a high-speed train on Wednesday evening, marking the beginning of a visit widely viewed as a crucial milestone in shaping the future trajectory of Bangladesh-China relations.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by his spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman, reached Beijing’s Chaoyang Railway Station at 5:35 pm local time after attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos Forum, in Dalian of Liaoning Province.

Upon arrival, Tarique Rahman was accorded a ceremonial welcome, including a static guard of honour and red-carpet reception.

China’s Minister of Customs and Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of the General Administration of Customs, Sun Meijun, received the Prime Minister and his spouse at the station, where two children presented them with bouquets.

The Prime Minister and his delegation were then escorted in a ceremonial motorcade to the Diaoyutai State Guest House, where they will stay during their visit to the Chinese capital.

The Beijing leg of the visit is being closely watched as the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping, engagements expected to play a decisive role in charting the next chapter of bilateral relations between the two countries.

Premier Li Qiang will formally welcome Tarique Rahman at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday before leading bilateral talks and delegation-level discussions.

Tarique Rahman is also scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping on Friday and hold talks with senior leaders of the Communist Party of China.

Diplomatic observers say the meetings come at a significant moment as Bangladesh and China prepare to move beyond the celebration of five decades of diplomatic relations towards a new phase of strategic cooperation.

Over the past 50 years, the two countries have steadily expanded cooperation across trade, infrastructure, development, connectivity, energy, education, healthcare and cultural exchanges.

The relationship gained fresh momentum in 2016 when Bangladesh became the first South Asian country to formally join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to Dhaka.

China has since emerged as Bangladesh’s second-largest development partner, financing and supporting a wide range of infrastructure, transport, energy and industrial projects that have contributed to the country’s economic transformation.

Despite the growing partnership, challenges remain. A substantial trade imbalance continues to characterise economic relations, with Bangladesh importing significantly more goods from China than it exports.

Expanding market access for Bangladeshi products and attracting greater Chinese investment are therefore expected to feature prominently in the discussions between the two sides.

Beyond economics, people-to-people exchanges have reached unprecedented levels in recent years.

Increasing numbers of Bangladeshis are travelling to China for business, higher education, medical treatment and tourism, reflecting the growing social and cultural connectivity between the two nations.

The engagement between Bangladesh and China has become increasingly multifaceted, extending beyond traditional diplomatic and economic cooperation to encompass technology, healthcare, climate resilience, skills development and regional connectivity.

Analysts believe the outcomes of Tarique Rahman’s meetings with President Xi and Premier Li will provide important signals about the future direction of the partnership and help define how the two countries navigate regional and global challenges together in the years ahead.

Before Tarique Rahman’s arrival in China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the visit as an important milestone in China-Bangladesh relations and the first official visit to China by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since assuming office.

“The leaders will chart the future course of bilateral ties,” Guo said, noting that the two sides would exchange views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Referring to China’s expectations from the visit, Guo said: “Through the visit, China looks forward to working with the new government of Bangladesh to enhance strategic communication, carry forward the traditional friendship, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, expand exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and enhance coordination on multilateral affairs to bring the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation to a new level.”

Before arriving in Beijing, Tarique Rahman participated in the WEF summit in Dalian, where more than 1,700 representatives from over 90 countries and regions discussed global economic challenges and opportunities.

During the forum, he addressed a session on climate leadership and held meetings with several international leaders and senior officials.

The Prime Minister is expected to return to Dhaka on June 26, concluding his first official overseas tour since assuming office following the BNP’s overwhelming victory in the 13th parliamentary election.