FM Qureshi in Beijing on 'very important' visit

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrived in Beijing for a "very important" one-day official visit, Geo News reported on Thursday.

He was received by the senior officials of Chinese foreign ministry at the airport.

Before leaving for China, FM Qureshi in a message said, “I had the discussion regarding the China visit with Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday [Wednesday]. The aim of the visit is to project Pakistan's political and military leadership's vision.”

During the visit, the foreign minister will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership and attend the second round of the 'Pak-China-Strategic Dialogue' in Hainan.

Qureshi will lead the Pakistani delegation, while the Chinese delegation will be led by the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The first meeting of the Dialogue was held in March last year, a Foreign Office press release said.

The two countries will also focus on the promotion of bilateral cooperation in various fields, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Phase-II.

The Foreign Office in its statement said the visit would play an important role in further strengthening Pakistan-China “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” and deepen strategic communication and coordination with China on a range of issues.

"Pakistan and China are the closest friends and staunch partners. Their time-tested friendship is based on unparalleled mutual trust, understanding, and commonality of interests. Both sides are fully committed to building closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future," read the official communique.

‘Highly relevant’

The second Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue was highly relevant and it will help the two countries enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and strengthen close coordination on international, regional affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

He said this dialogue mechanism was a platform for the two sides to coordinate exchanges and cooperation in various fields, make policy suggestions on the development of bilateral ties and enhance coordination and co-communication on the international and regional issues.

Zhao Lijian remarked that considering the current international situation as well as the profound impact brought by COVID-19, China and Pakistan as comprehensive strategic partners and all-weather strategic partners should enhance cooperation to meet these challenges and to deliver benefit to the people, adding, that “So, this time the strategic dialogue is highly relevant”.