Tajik President Emomali Rahmon departed today morning for Beijing for participation in the second Belt and Road forum.

According to the Tajik president’s official website, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Presidential Adviser for Foreign Policy, Minister of Economic Development and Trade and Minister of Agriculture are accompanying Rahmon on his trip to China.

The Tajik delegation members also include Chairman of the Tax Committee, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, President of the Academy of Sciences and some other officials.

While in Beijing, Emomali Rahmon will also attend Expo 2019, world horticultural exposition presented by the Bureau International des Expositions that will kick off in Yanqing District, Beijing on April 29. 

The Belt and Road initiative is Chinese President Xi’s signature foreign policy plan, unveiled five years ago to boost trade through investment in ports, power plants and other infrastructure in more than 80 countries from Asia to Europe and Africa.  Having since been expanded to the Arctic and South America, the initiative has become synonymous with much of China’s diplomatic and foreign economic activity.

China says the initiative offers benefits for all countries, with major projects including rail and highways linking China with Pakistan and Laos, direct China-Europe cargo train links as well as ports in various countries including Greece, Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

Beijing hosted the first Belt and Road forum in May 2017 with participation from more than 100 countries, including 29 national leaders from countries such as Greece, Pakistan and Russia.