BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will pay a state visit to China from May 11 to 14.

Rahmon was born to a peasant family on Oct. 5, 1952, in Tajikistan's Dangara district. He graduated from Technical Lyceum No. 40 of Kalininabad city (presently Sarband) in 1969, and served in the Pacific Navy Military Force from 1971 to 1974. In 1982, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the Tajik National University.

Since 1974, he worked at the Lenin collective farm in Dangara, successively serving as secretary of direction, chairman of the farm's Union Committee and chairman of the farm. In 1990, he was elected as people's deputy to the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan.

In 1992, he served as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Council of the People's Deputies of Kulyab province, and in November of that year was elected as chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On Nov. 6, 1994, Rahmon was elected president of Tajikistan in a nationwide vote. He was re-elected in 1999, 2006, 2013 and 2020, with each term lasting seven years.

He is married and has nine children. ■