President Xi Jinping's historic visit to the Czech Republic, starting on Monday, is expected to "renew and energize" bilateral ties, with the planned signing of more than 20 cooperative documents.

The 49-hour trip will be the first state visit by a Chinese president both to the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Xi is scheduled to meet Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, witness the signing of cooperative documents, attend a press conference, talk with Senate chairman Milan Stech and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Jan Hamacek, and meet with businesspeople.

The delegation will meet Zeman at the Lany chateau, west of Prague, where the two presidents together will plant a tree, according to information released by the Czech Presidential Office. Xi will be the first foreign president welcomed at the Lany chateau, the countryside residence of the Czech president.

In an article published in the Pravo daily on March 26, Xi called on joint work "to renew and energize the development of China-Czech ties and usher in a bright new era of China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation and China-EU relations".

"As people say in China, a tree can grow tall only when its roots are strong. China and the Czech Republic should consider upgrading the bilateral relationship in due time," Xi said in the article.

The release of a joint declaration of strategic partnership will be the main result of the visit. A number of memorandums of cooperation in investment, finance, aviation and healthcare are expected to be signed. Zeman has said previously that he expected Chinese investments worth 45 billion crowns ($1.84 billion).

The declaration will include enhancement of cooperation in the sphere of finances, including the Czech Republic's interest in becoming a center for Chinese financial institutions in the region, the Czech News Agency reported.

Vaclav Klaus, former president of the Czech Republic, told China Daily that Xi's visit is "of historic meaning", which has shown both sides are serious about developing the relationship.

"Now it is for us to keep closer ties with China," he said.

In a story published on its website early this month, Radio Prague commented that the Czech Republic is "looking to finally get a bigger slice of the Chinese investment cake after long lagging behind neighbors such as Poland and Hungary".

Ma Keqing, the Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic, said that Xi's visit will be a landmark occasion to boost relations with Central and Eastern European countries.

According to the ambassador, China is willing to deepen financial cooperation, encourage the use of each other's currencies in trade and investment, and engage in talks on the feasibility of setting up a renminbi settlement mechanism in Prague.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and fujing@chinadaily.com.cn