Chinese vice president meets Imran, others

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in various sectors in the presence of visiting Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Sunday who arrived in Pakistan on a three-day trip. China announced on the occasion that Pakistan has been a priority on China’s diplomacy and now both the countries have witnessed a sound momentum in their cooperation and frequent high-level exchanges.

A spokesman for the Chinese government maintained that both the countries are deepening their mutually beneficial cooperation and are conducting close coordination in international and regional affairs.

Wang Qishan was accorded red carpet welcome as he arrived at the Nur Khan Airbase. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar received the Chinese vice president. Clad in traditional dresses, two children presented a bouquet to him.

Later, he was warmly received by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister’s House. The formal talks and signing ceremony on the MoUs were conducted at the Prime Minister’s House followed by the talks. The visit, pegged to strengthen ties and cooperation, is a continuation of high-level exchanges between the two sides following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visits to China and participation in the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing last month.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Wang Qishan’s trip will further deepen high-level exchanges, friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.

“The visit will also advance the development of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) besides bilateral cooperation across the board,” said the spokesperson.

He said that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron friends, and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s foreign interests. The signing ceremony of MoUs was attended by the prime minister and visiting Chinese vice president. The MoUs include cooperation in economic and technical affairs, disaster management and assistance in agriculture sector of Lasbella University.

Imran Khan and Chinese vice president also launched four mega development projects in the fields of energy, technology and education under CPEC. Both the dignitaries unveiled the plaques of the four projects.

Under the first project, a transmission line of 660KV would be laid between Matiari and Lahore to transmit power from coal-based plants located at Thar, Port Qasim and Hub.

The project would have the capacity to supply 2,000MW electricity with 10 percent overloaded capability for two hours. The two leaders unveiled the plaque for Rashakai Special Economic Zone (RSEZ) project to promote industrialisation through optimally priced, world-class industrial infrastructure in KP. The RSEZ is situated centrally in the CPEC at the junction of Karakoram Corridor and ML-1 development corridor.

It is set to become, and will be designed, to be the key trade and logistics hub connecting Kashgar, Kabul and Gwadar on the Belt and Road, and be a high-end host of international commercial, technological and manufacturing hub.

The two leaders inaugurated the Confucious Institute at the University of Punjab. The institute mainly provides Chinese education, cultural promotion and cultural exchanges and other projects and activities. The ceremony also marked the launching of Huawei Technical Support Centre to be established in Pakistan as part of Chinese tech giant’s commitment to make massive investment in Pakistan.

The visit of the Chinese vice president underscores the vitality of the time-tested and all-weather relationship between Pakistan and China. It will reinforce the strength of bilateral ties and impart further impetus to the growing, multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields. The visit is in continuation of high-level exchanges between the two countries, which have acquired an increased momentum since the prime minister's visit to China in November last year and his participation in the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in April this year.

The spokesperson said Pakistan has been a priority on China’s diplomacy and now both the countries have witnessed a sound momentum in their cooperation and frequent high-level exchanges. He said both the countries are deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation and conducting close coordination in international and regional affairs.