FM Bilawal to visit China on Saturday

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will visit China on Saturday, his first trip to the neighboring country since assuming office, the Foreign Office said.

Bilawal is visiting China at the special invitation of China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The FM's visit will contribute towards further fortifying the time-tested All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China, enhance and deepen China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related engagement, and help in identifying new avenues for bilateral cooperation to the benefit of the two countries, Radio Pakistan reported.

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The minister of State for Foreign Affairs and senior officials will also accompany the FM.

During his visit, Bilawal will hold extensive consultations with Yi and review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.

The two leaders will hold discussions on fast-tracked progress on the transformational, CPEC flagship project of President Xi Jinping's visionary Belt and Road Initiative.

The two sides will also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues.

Earlier, Bilawal had said that nobody will be allowed to harm the iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China and the two will face every challenge together and emerge even stronger.

No one will be allowed to harm Pak-China friendship: Bilawal

“The all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China is time-tested and timeless. As always, we will face every challenge together and emerge even stronger,” he said.

On Monday, PM Shehbaz Sharif and Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Li Keqiang shared the view that Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership must continue to serve the vital interests of the peoples of the two countries, as well as the broader interests of peace and stability amidst the evolving regional and global milieu.

To this end, the two leaders agreed to enhance the momentum of exchanges to take bilateral cooperation to even higher levels.

Shehbaz also affirmed his government’s firm resolve to fast track both the ongoing as well as the new projects under the transformational China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which had immensely contributed to the socio-economic development of Pakistan and also realize its high-quality development.

The prime minister underscored the need for both sides to work together and enhance cooperation between the concerned agencies of the two countries to fully operationalize the Special Economic Zones at an early date.