PM, COAS to meet Chinese leadership on Oct 8-9: FO

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit China from October 8 to 9, 2019 and hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

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.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will separately host banquets in honour of the Prime Minister Khan, said the statement.

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.

The Chief of Army Staff will join the prime minister’s meetings with Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping, the statement mentioned.

The visit of the prime minister was 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 occupied Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, it added.

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 CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor).

According to a foreign office statement, there will be 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 Chinese PM Li Keqiang will be the host.