In the Great Hall of the People, located west of Tiananmen Square, two friends meet again after five years: Nicolás Maduro and Xi Jinping shake hands again as a symbol of the brotherhood that characterizes the prosperous integral strategic partnership between Venezuela and China.
In a perfect formation, grouped according to their components, soldiers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army wait patiently. A few meters further away, boys and girls remain distributed in four rows with multicolored flowers in their hands. It is a welcoming gesture, traditional to receive guests of honor.
The flags of China and Venezuela flutter in the wind. Silence is the prelude to the drum roll that announces the presence of Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyan, who at a slow but determined pace descend the steps of the enormous stairs that lead to the central courtyard.
Barely two minutes have passed when the black vehicle – identified with a pair of flags of China and Venezuela – approaches, carrying Nicolás Maduro and his faithful companion, Cilia Flores de Maduro, first combatant woman and deputy of the National Assembly.
The wheeling stops. At the foot of the stairs, Xi waits for his colleague. He resounds the sound of the trumpets, whose notes accompany the brief but heartfelt greeting that begins a long walk along the red carpet that surrounds the grayish floor of the Central Courtyard of the Great Palace of the People.
They stop to share affection with the delegations present. The flashes of the cameras shine at the same time as the warm light of the sun that falls on the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, a scene that faces the leaders.
The walk continues, as both first ladies remain at the beginning of the scarlet trail. The Dorado Gazebo is the destination, the epicenter of the distinction that accompanies the solemn notes of the (Venezuelan) Anthem “Gloria Al Bravo Pueblo” (Glory to the Brave People) and “The March of the Volunteers”, combined with thunderous gunshots.
Sabers are raised as a sign of respect. Xi and Nicolás do not exchange words, but rather looks that profess admiration, as well as a deep conviction that the panorama that opens with the historic visit will be promising, auspicious for the realization of new forms of cooperation for shared development.
The tour continues. At times they direct their gaze, also timid smiles, to the journalists, photographers and cameramen present. Everyone is attentive, they know that the meeting will mark a new milestone in friendship that not only aims to guarantee the stability of two peoples in resistance, but also the opportunity to join forces around the community of common destiny, which defends the win-win formula. gain.
The finishing touch is marked by the military parade, preceded by the chords of trombone, trumpets and snare drums.
Presidents Xi Jinping and Nicolás Maduro leave, heading inside the Great Hall of the People, whose East Room will be the scene of the bilateral dialogue that marks the second day of the work agenda in Beijing.
