President Arif Alvi on Monday left for a two-day visit to China along with senior ministers on the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. A delegation, including Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, and other senior officials, are accompanying the president. The president will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders.
A number of memoranda of understandings (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit. This will be his first visit to China, which is singularly aimed at conveying strong support and solidarity of Pakistan to the government and people of China, while Beijing is resolutely engaged in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Speaking to the media before his departure, President Alvi said, "I am undertaking the visit to express solidarity with the Chinese leadership and people, and appreciate their efforts to handle the coronavirus."
He said he would also express condolence with the Chinese leadership over the loss of precious human lives due to this virus.
Alvi said the visit would also provide an opportunity to learn from the Chinese experiences to check the coronavirus.
President Alvi would be the first head of state to visit the country, since China announced to close 14 makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, in a sign of victory against the deadly virus that has killed more than 3,000 in the mainland.
It will also serve as an opportunity for the leadership of the two countries to review bilateral, regional and international issues, and to advance the shared goals of promoting peace, prosperity and development. Pakistan and China are the closest friends and staunch partners. The two countries are joined together in an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, the government reaffirmed on Sunday.
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