Deputy PM Ishaq Dar reaches China for talks on trade, economic cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday arrived in Beijing on a four-day visit to co-chair the Fifth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

On his arrival, the deputy prime minister was received by Director General, Ambassador Wang Fu Kang and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi.

In the strategic dialogue, the two sides will comprehensively review bilateral relations including economic and trade cooperation, high-level exchanges and visits, upgradation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, future connectivity initiatives and the geopolitical situation.

On the sidelines of the strategic dialogue, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to meet Chinese leaders, senior ministers and leading corporate executives.

“Deputy prime minister’s visit is part of regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China. It reflects the importance attached by the two countries to further deepening the “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”, reaffirming mutual support on issues of core interest, enhancing economic and trade cooperation including CPEC, and reinforcing joint commitment to regional peace and development,” the FO statement concluded.

China looks forward to Dar’s visit

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the first official visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to China from May 13-16 is an important part of the institutional exchanges between the two foreign ministries.

“China is willing to work with the Pakistani side to take this visit as an opportunity to further implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries,” spokesperson Lin Jian said at his regular press briefing. He mentioned that Dar would hold the fifth round of the Foreign Minister-Level China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue.

Pakistan, China agree to expedite CPEC projects

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan and China have agreed to accelerate implementation of projects under CPEC in different sectors.

The understanding was reached during meeting of Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal with Vice Chairman National Development and Reform Commission of China Zhao Chenxin in Beijing on Friday.

The two sides agreed to implement Industrial Cooperation Framework Agreement and develop an Action Plan for the modernization of industry, mines and mineral sectors.

They also resolved to prioritize cooperation in Artificial Intelligence and agriculture modernization in the second phase of CPEC.

They vowed to enhance connectivity of the coastal city of Gwadar by constructing Eastbay Expressway to fully harness the potential of its port and industrial zone.

Both sides also discussed enhancing road and highway infrastructure cooperation by signing four MoUs for launching technical studies on D.I Khan-Zhob Road, Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Manshehra Motorway, Babusar Tunnel and Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway.

They agreed to hold the next round of CPEC’s Joint Coordination Committee before the prime minister’s upcoming visit to China.