Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Dar will visit China next week

Pakistan’s newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will embark on a three-day official visit to China starting May 13, during which he will meet with top Chinese leaders and discuss the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan relationship. The plan is to comprehensively consider bilateral relations, including strengthening them. Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Dar, who is also the foreign minister, will co-chair the 5th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“Both sides will comprehensively consider Pakistan-China bilateral relations, including economic and trade cooperation, high-level exchanges and visits, development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and future connectivity initiatives,” the statement said.

India opposes the CPEC, which connects Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province with China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Mr. Da and Mr. Wang will also exchange views on the unfolding regional geopolitical situation and bilateral cooperation at multilateral forums.

During his visit from May 13 to 16, Dar will also meet with Chinese leaders, senior ministers and prominent business executives, the statement said. Dar’s visit to Beijing comes amid reports that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit China in the coming weeks.

Mr. Dar’s visit is part of “regular high-level exchanges” between Pakistan and China, and “reflects the importance of the two countries further deepening their ‘all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,’ “We reaffirm mutual support on issues of interest; strengthen economic and trade cooperation, including on CPEC, and strengthen joint efforts for regional peace and development.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that the Chinese government is ready to cooperate with Islamabad to see Dar’s visit as “an opportunity to further implement the important agreement between the two leaders,” The Express Tribune reported. reported.

Lin said that the friendly relations between China and Pakistan have been growing stronger over the years, and the two countries have worked together to deal with changes in the international and regional situation, deepening mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

Lin said that after Pakistan’s general elections earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and President Zhao Leji took the first opportunity to congratulate Pakistani leaders and express China’s heartfelt blessings and goodwill. .

According to the report, he said, “The Chinese side will inherit the traditional friendly relations between China and Pakistan, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and create an upgraded version of CPEC construction. He was willing to do so.”

He reiterated China’s desire to deepen the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries and accelerate the building of a closer community of shared future between the two countries in the new era.