BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping visit to Pakistan next week, would provide a powerful impetus to build on the China-Pakistan friendship and deepen comprehensive collaboration.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Friday morning that the Chinese president will pay a state visit to Pakistan from Monday to Tuesday at the invitation of Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Xi’s two-day state visit to Pakistan will be his first trip to the South Asian country since he assumed the presidency in 2013.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said as 2015 was the Pakistan-China Year of Friendly Exchanges, Xi’s visit would lift the strategic cooperative partnership to a new high.
“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor [CPEC] will be high on the agenda,” former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Zhou Gang said.
The CPEC, a flagship project to strengthen China’s connectivity with neighboring countries, was proposed during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Pakistan in May 2013.
The planned corridor will connect Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with Gwadar Port in Pakistan. A project outline was signed in Beijing last November.
During Xi’s visit to Islamabad, China and Pakistan will sign deals on energy, infrastructure to education and culture, Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid said.
After Pakistan, Xi will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia, for the Asian-African Summit.
During this visit, Xi will go to the heritage city of Bandung, West Java, to attend events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.
INP
