ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Beijing on Wednesday morning on a five-day official visit, his first foreign trip since his party came to power in the May 11 general elections.
The premier was accompanied by an eleven-member high level delegation including Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatimi.
Some members of the Prime Minister entourage including Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif have left Lahore for Beijing to join him.
The Chinese deputy foreign minister welcomed the Pakistani prime minister at the airport.
Pakistan’s ambassador to China Masood Khalid said the premier’s first official visit to China would further strengthen Sino-Pak strategic bilateral ties.
Sharif , in his meetings the Chinese top leadership,would focus on Pakistan’s power sector, the development of Pakistani infrastructure, and the promotion of bilateral trade and commerce between the two neighbours, he said. He added Sharif will meet with Chinese President Xi Jin Ping to discuss issues of regional and global importance and mutual interest.
The prime minister is also scheduled to meet with top leaders and executives of Chinese financial institutions, he said.
Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Sharif’s visit will “help promote pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.”
YI said his country is willing to work with the new Pakistani government to implement the consensus reached during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Pakistan and the common views shared by the two countries’ leaders.
The Chinese Foreign Minister met with Sartaj Aziz, advisor to the Pakistani prime minister on foreign affairs and national security, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Bandar Seri Begawan, Burnei on Tuesday.
A number of agreements and memorandums of understanding between are expected to be signed by the two countries during Sharif’s five-day visit.
