Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal arrived in Beijing on Monday on a five-day official visit on the invitation of his Chinese counterpart General Cao Gungehuan. During his stay in China, the Minister will hold meetings with the top-ranking military and civil officials. Besides Beijing, the delegation is also scheduled to visit Shanghai.
Official sources told newsmen that the visit was a part of regular exchanges between the two friendly countries to develop comprehensive partnership in all the fields of bilateral interest, including the defence sector.
The Sino-Pak relations became stronger with the passage of time, meeting the common aspirations of their people, the sources said adding the two countries attached great importance to their bilateral co-operation and had always been working together promoting peace, stability and development in the region.
The Minister is accompanied by Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Major (Retd) Tanveer Hussain Syed; Joint Staff Headquarter Director General Lieutenant General Shahid Sadiq Tarmizi; Ministry of Defence Senior Joint Secretary Saleem Iqbal and Ministry of Defence Production Joint Secretary Commodore Shabbir Ahmed.