PM Imran Khan chairs high-level meeting ahead of China visit

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad today ahead of his visit to China, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

PM Imran Khan said that Pakistan gives high value to its friendly ties with China and his visit to Beijing will further cement the bilateral relationship of both nations.

During the meeting, the premier was briefed over the progress on projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Special Economic Zones, investment, trade, information technology (IT), agriculture.

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The high-level session was attended by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib, Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill and Khalid Mansoor.

PM Imran Khan will embark on a three-day official visit to China on Feb 3, Thursday to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising members of his cabinet and senior government officials.

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During his visit, PM Khan will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Both sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation including CPEC.

They will also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues. A number of MoUs and agreements would be concluded during the visit.

PM Khan would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and the media in Beijing. He will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines.

“The Prime Minister’s visit would mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, with more than 140 events organized to showcase the resilience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the unfolding international situation,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement earlier.

“It 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.”