Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan is visiting China on October 8-9 to hold important meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will separately host banquets in honour of Prime Minister Khan. A number of agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed at a ceremony to be witnessed by the two prime ministers, a Foreign Office statement issued here on Monday said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the foreign minister, minister for railways, minister for planning, development and reform, adviser to prime minister on commerce, special assistant to prime minister on petroleum, Board of Investment (BOI) chairman and senior officials. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa will join the prime minister’s meetings with Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping, the statement mentioned.

The visit of the prime minister is in continuation of the long-established tradition of the leadership of the two countries meeting regularly and consulting closely on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. The prime minister will exchange views on regional developments including the state of peace and security in South Asia arising from the situation in Indian-held Kashmir since August 5. The visit will be instrumental in further cementing Pakistan’s economic, investment and strategic ties with China.

Among other things, the prime minister will apprise the Chinese leadership of the government’s recent landmark decisions to speed-up implementation of the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects as well as efforts to project CPEC as a high-quality demonstration project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to the Foreign Office, there will be an interaction with senior representatives of the Chinese business and corporate sector as well for deepening bilateral trade, commercial and investment partnership. The prime minister will also be participating in the closing ceremony of the Beijing International Horticulture Expo as a chief guest, where Premier Li Keqiang will be the host.

“Pakistan and China are closest friends, staunch partners and ‘iron brothers’. The two countries are joined together in an ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’. This time-tested friendship between the two countries is based on unparalleled mutual trust, understanding and commonality of interests. The leadership of both countries is fully committed to building closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has arrived China on an official visit, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Monday. The COAS will meet Chinese military leadership including People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Army commander, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and commander Southern Theater Command.