The bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang began at the Great Hall of People here this morning. “The meeting kicked off around 11 am at the Great Hall of People,” sources said. The Great Hall of the People is a state building located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and ruling Communist Party of China. Earlier on her arrival at the Great Hall of People around 10:45 am, Sheikh Hasina was accorded a grand state reception. The Chinese premier welcomed the Bangladesh prime minister when she reached the Great Hall of the People and later the two premiers introduced their delegation members to each other. Later, Bangladesh prime minister was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from the three services. Accompanied by the Chinese prime minister, Sheikh Hasina took salute from a decorated dais and later inspected the guards. National anthems of the two countries were played and gun salutes were also given on the occasion. After the meeting, nine instruments are likely to be signed between the two countries in the presence of the two leaders. The Bangladesh premier will later join a luncheon at the Great Hall of the People to be hosted by Keqiang. Sheikh Hasina reached China on July 1 on a five-day official visit to attend the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting and hold talks with top Chinese leaders.