Prime Minister Imran Khan will be leaving for China today (Thursday) on a four-day visit during which he will attend the Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing and meet with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Imran’s Feb 3-6 visit has been scheduled on the Chinese leadership’s special invitation and he will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the Cabinet and senior government officials. The statement said in meetings between the premier and the Chinese leadership, the entire gamut of bilateral relations would be reviewed, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“They will also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues,” the statement added. The prime minister’s visit is taking place after nearly two years and it will mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, according to the FO.
In this regard, the statement said, more than 140 events had been organized to “showcase the resilience of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and the unfolding international situation”. “It (the visit) would thus renew the bilateral commitment to taking the iron-clad partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights and add impetus to cooperation across multiple domains.”
According to the FO statement, a number of memoranda of understanding and agreements would be concluded during the visit, and the prime minister would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and the media.
“The prime minister will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines,” the statement said. The statement also highlighted the importance of the Olympics, describing the global event as a means to “foster mutual understanding, inclusivity and friendship among the peoples of the world”.
“Beijing will soon become the first city to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. It is highly admirable that the Chinese government has made meticulous arrangements for holding the Winter Olympic Games despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement read. Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday expressed the confidence that his visit to China would take the strong bilateral relations to new heights. He expressed these views while chairing a high-level meeting ahead of his upcoming visit.
The prime minister was given a detailed briefing on projects related to China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Special Economic Zones, trade, information technology and agriculture.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers including Shaukat Tareen, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Asad Umar and Hammad Azhar, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, State Minister Farrukh Habib, National security Adviser Dr Moeed Yousaf, Special Assistant Shahbaz Gill and Khalid Mansoor. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned a recent attempted missile attack by the Houthi rebels against the UAE in a telephone call with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the prime minister had a telephone call with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“The prime minister strongly condemned the recent attempted missile attack by Houthis against the UAE on January 30. He commended the timely and effective air defence response of the UAE that saved valuable precious lives,” said the tweets. The PMO said the premier “expressed abiding solidarity” with the UAE’s leadership, government and people, says a news report.
“He expressed deep concern over the recent escalation in attacks that have seriously threatened regional peace and security. The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding support for efforts to protect and promote regional peace and security through dialogue and diplomacy,” said the PMO. Apart from the recent attack, the two leaders also “discussed bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest”.
