Premier Zhu Back in Beijing

Premier Zhu Back in Beijing

---

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji returned to Beijing Tuesday afternoon after an official visit to five Asian nations -- Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Zhu began his tour on May 11 as guest of the leaders of the five countries.

Greeting the premier at the Great Hall of the People were Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wang Zhongyu, and officials from the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Council.

Diplomatic envoys from Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand also greeted Zhu at the Great Hall of the People.

Zhu's entourage, including his wife Lao An, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng, and leading officials from the State Development Planning Commission, State Economic and Trade Commission and the Export-Import Bank of China, also returned to Beijing aboard the same plane.