Tajikistan capital readies for boost in relations

From residents greeting Chinese visitors with a cheerful "ni hao" to buses carrying Chinese characters reading "China-Tajikistan Friendship" on main thoroughfares, the arrival of President Hu Jintao to Dushanbe yesterday permeated into the heart of the city.

Hu's trip to the capital of Tajikistan is the second leg of a weeklong official visit to three Asian countries that also include the Republic of Korea and Turkmenistan. His first stop was a two-day visit to Seoul that ended yesterday.

The Chinese leader's stay in Dushanbe is expected to bring bilateral relations of the two countries to a new level.