BASEL: Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan arrived in Berne, the capital city of Switzerland on Sunday for a four-day state visit which will see Xi attend the World Economic Forum for the first time.
After receiving a red-carpet welcome ceremony from Swiss Confederation president Doris Leuthard and six other federal members, Xi gave a speech at the Federal Palace of Switzerland upon his arrival, Xinhua News Agency reported.
It is the first visit by a Chinese president to Switzerland this century, and is expected to see the two countries sign a package of cooperation agreements on politics, trade, tourism, culture, customs, energy and sports.
According to the state visit schedule released last week, President Xi will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 17, where he is designated to deliver a keynote speech.
The next day will see Xi visit the United Nations, World Health Organisation and International Olympic Committee headquarters in Switzerland.
Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Wanda president Wang Jianlin and Huawei Group president Sun Yafang – alongside several other Chinese business tycoons – will also be present at Davos forum.
Founded in 1971, the forum is an annual gathering which brings together major leaders from political, business, intellectual and journalistic fields to discuss solutions for the most pressing issues facing the world.
