President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in Beijing, Nov 26, 2015. Xie Huanchi/Xinhua

Full text of President Xi's article on Czech newspaper

President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled "Time to Renew and Energize China-Czech Ties" on the Pravo daily on Saturday, ahead of his state visit to the Czech Republic.

...At the invitation of President Milos Zeman, I will be paying my first state visit to the Czech Republic as the Chinese President. I look forward to having in-depth exchange of views with President Zeman and other Czech leaders on boosting bilateral ties and on major international and regional issues.... [Full text]

When mole met panda: A cross-cultural adventure

Me and my big mouth. Picture this: The weekly news planning meeting at China Daily's London office is well underway, and the subject of President Xi Jinping's forthcoming state visit to the Czech Republic is under discussion.

Amid all the talk of business and diplomacy, someone mentions moles. Don't ask me why, but I chose that moment to wax lyrical about the Eastern European country's best-known export: the art of the animated cartoon. [Full story]