ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA, FRIDAY, 5rd JUNE, 2009_ Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas will head a Grenada delegation on a State visit to the Peoples Republic of China from June 13th 2009. Members of the delegation include Foreign Minister, Hon. Peter David, Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Culture and Sports, Sen. Arly Gill, Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister, Aaron Moses, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sybil Alexander and Director in the Office of Private Sector Development in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Christopher DeRiggs. The Prime Minister will be officially welcomed to Beijing by his Chinese counterpart, His Excellency Mr. Wen Jiabao at the East Gate Square of the Great Hall of the People. This will be followed by a meeting between the two leaders and a welcome banquet. Prime Minister Thomas will also meet with the President of the Foreign Affairs University of the PRC, Mr. Zhao Jinjun, prior to addressing the university on climate change and its implications for small and developing states. The Grenada delegation will meet with officials of EXIM Bank, the President of the National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China, China Aviation Industrial Group, and with the Minister for the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCCPC), H.E Mr. Wang Jiarui. H.E Mr. Jairui met Prime Minister during a visit by a Chinese delegation to Grenada in March. The Prime Minister’s team will be afforded the opportunity to visit other Chinese provinces of Guandong and Jiangxi. The Chinese hosts have also arranged visits to several significant sites including the Bird’s Nest Stadium, which received international acclaim following the Beijing Olympics last year, the Teng King Palace and the Academy of Agricultural Science in Guandong. The delegation will also hold meetings with provincial and business leaders and Prime Minister Thomas will take the opportunity to meet with Grenadian students in China. Prior to the visit to Beijing the Prime Minister, accompanied by Foreign Minister David, will fly to London on the 11th of June for meetings with the Grenadian Diaspora. This follows on similar meetings with Grenadians in the United States and Canada last year. “We have placed great emphasis on a role for the Diaspora in the development of their homeland. This is an opportunity to meet with Grenadians in London to discuss their involvement in Grenada’s development and ways of fostering a better relationship with them,” said Prime Minister Thomas. The rest of the team will join the Prime Minister in London two days later for the start of the official visit to Beijing.