Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang will arrive here on a two-day official visit along with high powered delegation on Wednesday, said Foreign Office. According to Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, many important agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of economy, science and technology, space and upper atmosphere communication and energy would be signed during the visit of the Chinese Premier.
"All these and other agreements are aimed at further strengthening our bilateral relations and improving the well being of the two people," he said, adding Premier Li Keqiang's visit would mark yet another important step forward in reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two countries and open up new avenues for bilateral co-operation.
Premier Li Keqiang who chose India for his first foreign trip after being elected as the country's prime minister is arriving in Islamabad today on the conclusion of his three-day official visit to New Delhi. The Chinese Premier will be accompanied by a high powered delegation which includes Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Minister for Commerce Gao Hucheng, Chairman of National Development Reform Commission Xu Shaoshi, high ranking officials and leaders of corporate sector.
It is the first visit of Premier Li Keqiang to Pakistan after becoming the premier of the People's Republic of China. The visit takes place immediately after the democratic elections in Pakistan. "It will provide an opportunity to Premier Li to meet the new political leadership in Pakistan," Aizaz Chaudhry said, adding that Premier Li Keqiang's visit would also provide further impetus to their strategic co-operation. The friendly ties and the friendship with China was the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy, he added.
"Pakistan and China are "all weather" friends. Their traditional and friendly co-operative ties are based on shared principles and mutual interests entailing co-operation in diverse fields", the Foreign Office spokesman said, adding both countries hold identical views on important world issues and cooperate at international fora.
At the popular level in both countries, there was strong resonance of the long and rich history of close and cordial ties, he added. He said that economic co-operation between Pakistan and China had expanded significantly in recent years, adding the bilateral trade between Pakistan and China in 2012 crossed the figure of US $12 billion for the first time.
"Both sides are committed to achieve a trade target of US $15 billion in the next two-three years. Several major energy and infrastructure development projects are being executed in Pakistan with Chinese assistance," he said, adding that more than 120 Chinese companies were engaged in economic activity in Pakistan and Chinese investment had reached the figure of two billion dollars by 2012.
Upon his arrival on Wednesday, the Chinese Premier will meet President Asif Ali Zardari who will host a luncheon for him at the Presidency. The Chinese Premier will hold talks with the President and the Prime Minister after which there will be a joint press conference. The PM will host a banquet for the Chinese Premier in the evening, the spokesman added.
During the visit, the Chinese Premier will also be conferred with the highest award of Nishan-e-Pakistan. Besides bilateral meetings with the President and the PM, the spokesman said that Premier Li Keqiang would hold a joint meeting with the Chairman Senate and Speaker National Assembly and also address the Senate of Pakistan. Leaders of the political parties will also meet the Chinese Premier.
On May 23, President of Pakistan Muslim League-N and the upcoming PM Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will call on the visiting Chinese premier. Premier Li Keqiang will also visit the Pakistan-China friendship Centre along-with the PM of Pakistan and meet with Pakistani friends who have played a role in promoting Pakistan-China relations. He will also plant a tree at Shakarparian.
"High level visits are the hallmark of Pak-China bilateral relations", he said, recalling that former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pakistan in December 2010. Li Changchun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC visited Pakistan in October 2012 and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who is now State Councillor, visited Pakistan in May 2012. A number of high level visits including that of the President and the PM had taken place from Pakistan side in the last few years, he added.
Comments
Comments are closed.