Chinese FM arrives in Pakistan on three-day visit

ISLAMABAD: Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Pakistan for a three-day official visit on Friday. During his visit, the Chinese foreign minister will hold delegation-level talks with his Pakistani counterpart, a spokesman for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. He will also call on the president, the prime minister, National Assembly speaker, and the chief of army staff (COAS).

This is the first official visit by a Chinese dignitary since the new government was formed in Pakistan. The Chinese state councillor is visiting Pakistan upon the invitation of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced Thursday.

The two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern, Chunying added.

Moreover, she said China-Pakistan relations have maintained a good momentum of development. “The two sides have maintained frequent high-level exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in various fields has progressed smoothly,” she added. She further said the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has achieved fruitful results.

She added, Pakistan successfully held General Election and elected a new president, adding, the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have sent congratulatory messages to President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, respectively. The visit of State Councillor Wang Yi would be the first high-level exchange between China and Pakistan after the formation of the new Pakistani government.  

“We hope and look forward to this visit, continue the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and push China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership to a new height” she added.