QINGDAO China: President Mamnoon Hussain Friday arrived here in the coastal city of Shandong province to attend the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The president was received by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Vice Governor of Shandong Province Ren Airong as he touched down Qingdao Liuting International Airport.

Secretary Foreign Affairs Tehmina Janjua and Ambassador of Pakistan in China Masood Khalid were also present to receive the president.

The smartly-turned-out contingents of Chinese armed forces presented guard of honor to the president. Clad in beautiful dresses, two children also presented bouquet to the dignitary who reciprocated the gesture with some gifts.

At the summit, President Mamnoon would join the leaders of another seven full member countries of SCO and also address the high-profile gathering. The event would also be attended by the leaders from Observer states and representatives of various international organizations.

President Mamnoon is attending the SCO Summit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping who would chair the meeting. </s> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning departed for China's Qingdao to attend the two-day long 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).On Friday, the Prime Minister posted a message regarding the summit on his official Facebook account."The SCO has a rich agenda for cooperation, ranging from fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture; protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk, and fostering people-to-people relations," Prime Minister Modi said.He also said he would be holding multiple meetings with the heads of various SCO member states on the sidelines of the summit.This will be India's first participation in the summit as a full-time member of the organisation. India, along with Pakistan, became the full-time member during Astana summit in June 2017.Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping apart from holding meetings with various other participating leaders.Further, the member-countries, including India, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, are expected to sign the Qingdao Declaration.The declaration will hold details of the significant mechanism for resisting the global terror activities.The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation that focuses on strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states and promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, and making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.The SCO has two sub-divisions including Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) and SCO Secretariat. </s> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning departed for China's Qingdao to attend the two-day long 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). On Friday, the Prime Minister posted a message regarding the summit on his official Facebook account. This will be India's first participation in the summit as a full-time member of the organisation. India, along with Pakistan, became the full-time member during Astana summit in June 2017. Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President. </s> Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping early on Sunday.

The two top officials met on the sidelines of the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese port city of Qingdao.

The two top executives highlighted the strengthening of bilateral ties and developing economic and political cooperation between Tehran and Beijing.

The two also exchanged views on issues of mutual interests and the avenues of bilateral cooperation as well as the case of the JCPOA- AKA the Iran nuclear deal- which both Iran and China are signatory states of.

After US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement on May 6, all heads of states of signatory states but US has reassured Tehran that they will remain committed to the landmark agreement of July 14, 2015.

Prior to meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Rouhani held one-on-one meetings with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, President Rouhani held separate bilateral meetings with the presidents of Pakistan, Russia, Belarus, and Afghanistan.

Rouhani is in China to take part at the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit where he is scheduled to deliver a speech on the prospect of expansion of cooperation among the SCO member states and the future of the JCPOA after the US pullout.

The Iranian president is accompanied by high-ranking political and economic figures including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh, Minister of Economy Masoud Karbasian, Vice President for Economic Affairs Mohammad Nahavandian, and Governor of Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif.

Mr. Rouhani is slated to leave the Chinese port city of Qingdao for Iranian capital city of Tehran late on Sunday. </s> Chinese premier Li Keqiang waves as he arrives for a news conference following the closing of the First Session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 20, 2018. Li will be holding a trilateral summit with Japanese and South Korean leaders in early May. Photo: Bloomberg </s> China will convene its 19th Party Congress on October 18, state media said Thursday, a key meeting held every five years where President Xi Jinping is expected to receive a second term as the ruling Communist party's top leader.

The meeting will discuss the country's accomplishments since the previous gathering and elect the new members of the party's top leadership, according to the party's official mouthpiece the People's Daily.

The congress will decide a new line-up for the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the group of seven politicians who run the world's second largest economy.

At the meeting, President Xi Jinping is widely expected to consolidate his grip on power, solidifying his position as China's most powerful ruler in a generation.

The new slate of committee members is traditionally seen as indicating Xi's most likely successor after he steps down, expected for 2022.

But the Chinese president has thus far delayed anointing an heir, spurring speculation that he will try to stay in office beyond the standard 10-year tenure. </s> Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the SCO summit in China, discussed expansion of bilateral ties.

Presidential Palace in a statement said that the meeting of the two leaders took place in Chinese port city of Qingdao on Saturday.

In the meeting, the two leaders emphasized expansion of bilateral political and economic relations as well as joint efforts against international terrorism and drug trafficking.

“The presidents of both countries assessed the economic and trade relations as positive and stressed on the continuation of economic cooperation,” the statement said.

In the meeting, President Rouhani said that he supports every steps being taken as part of the Afghan peace process to prevent conflict in bloodshed in Afghanistan.

This comes as Ghani is scheduled to take part at the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit where he is scheduled to deliver a speech at the summit.

According to President’s spokesman Haroon Chakhansoori, Ghani will also meet with the other SCO member state’s heads on the sidelines of the summit and discuss counter terrorism, Narcotics and Criminal Economy in the region. </s> Chinese culture displayed at media center for 18th SCO Summit in Qingdao </s> Kathmandu, 15 April: At the invitation of Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Minister for Foreign Affairs, is paying an official visit to China from April 16 to 21, 2018, leading a Nepali delegation.

During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart minister Wang on 18 April, which will be followed by a joint press address. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during his stay in Beijing, he will meet with the state leaders of China. He will also address the round table meeting of the Chinese think tanks.

He will also visit Chengdu City of the Sichuan Province of China and meet with the provincial leaders and address a programme at the Sichuan University on April 20 and return home the next day. The Nepali delegation is comprised of Ambassador of Nepal to China Leela Mani Paudyal and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Embassy.

This visit is taken as ground preparing visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to Beijing in June and also organizing Chinese President Xi’s impending visit to Kathmandu Prior to his departure to Beijing, minister Gyawali is holding a press conference on Monday afternoon.
The 18th Council of Heads of State meets in Qingdao, China.