ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan, at a special invitation of the Chinese leadership, left for China on a four-day visit today.
During his visit, PM Imran Khan will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics 2022 and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.
The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, Adviser to PM on Commerce and Textiles Abdul Razak Dawood and others.
During the meetings, leaders from both sides will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). They will also have a wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues.
A number of MoUs and agreements would also be signed during the visit. While in Beijing, the prime minister would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and the media.
‘We are going to China to seek help’
In a video message shared on his Twitter handle ahead of the visit, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said, “We are going to China to seek help.”
He maintained that they would urge the Chinese leadership to relocate their industry to Pakistan. Special economic zones were ready, he said, adding that it would be a win-win situation if China relocates its industry here.
“PM Imran Khan will also seek help from China in the agriculture transformation plan,” says Tarin.
Adviser to PM on Commerce and Textiles Abdul Razak Dawood said that they would discuss various trade-related issues with the Chinese leadership.
“We will acquire modern technology from China to boost agriculture in the country,” he said, adding that they will bring betterment in China–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). He said that agriculture was their priority.
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