PM Imran to leave for Beijing on three-day visit to China

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for Beijing later today on a three-day visit to China. PM Imran is expected to discuss regional and bilateral issues with the Chinese leadership, suggest reports.

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The premier will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and other important government figures in the Chinese capital.

According to a statement made by Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, the PM will also take up economic issues in his meetings, with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement also on the agenda.

Rashid told reporters on Sunday that cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture, industrial and socio-economic industries, would also be discussed during the visit.

PM Imran will address the China-Pakistan Business Forum in Beijing as well, aiming to bolster economic and trade exchanges between the two neighbouring countries.

The delegation travelling with the premier is expected to hold talks with several Chinese entrepreneurs and heads of different companies during the visit to explore possibilities related to investment in Pakistan. 

According to a Radio Pakistan report, the two sides will likely discuss the immediate implementation of the Phase-II of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.

They will also examine the abolition of quota for all Pakistani agricultural products like rice, wheat, corn, soybean, sugar and tobacco. This would be the third visit of the premier to China within a year.

The visit comes only a few days after the premier returned to Pakistan after attending the United Nations General Assembly session in New York, where he met several world leaders during a week-long stay in US.