President Zardari to visit China on Tuesday

President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake a five-day visit to China from February 4 (Tuesday) at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The visit underscores the tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China, reflecting deep commitment of the two countries to strengthen their All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement today.

It added that the visit reaffirms mutual support on the issues of core interests, advance economic and trade cooperation including CPEC, and “to highlight their joint commitment to regional peace, development and stability”.

During his visit, the president will hold meetings with Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other senior Chinese leaders in Beijing.

“The discussions will encompass the full spectrum of Pakistan-China relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation; counter-terrorism and security collaboration; China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and future connectivity initiatives.”

The FO further said that the two sides will also exchange views on the unfolding global and regional geopolitical landscape, and bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora.

President Zardari will also attend the inaugural ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang province of China, at the special invitation of the Chinese government.

Sources told Business Recorder that the president’s visit was originally planned for November last year but had to be rescheduled due to his foot injury.

The rescheduling of this visit emphasises the importance both countries attach to their bilateral relations, the sources added.

Meanwhile, MoFA, sources said, had requested the concerned Ministries to share update on the possible deliverables during the visit.

Furthermore, following details be furnished for the MoUs/ Agreements that are ready for signing or likely to be signed:

(i) final draft text (both in English and Chinese) with final concurrence of the two sides;

(ii) authorisation of signatories; and

(iii) Cabinet approval.