Imran Khan, who is on his first official visit to China after assuming charge as Pakistan’s prime minister, met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday.
The meeting between the heads of the states took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. High-level delegations from both the sides were also in attendance.
The two sides discussed strengthening of bilateral relations and matters of mutual regional and international interests, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. They also reviewed all the aspects of Pakistan-China strategic partnership.
Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked President Xi Jinping for extending warm hospitality to him upon arrival.
Praising China’s progress, PM Imran said President Xi’s vision and leadership are exemplary and China’s phenomenal achievements are worth emulating. He further said he had come to China to learn.
“My party has only been in power for two months. Unfortunately we have inherited a very difficult economic situation,” PM Imran said, as quoted by Reuters.
“Countries go in cycles. They have their high points, they have their low points. Unfortunately, our country is going through a low point at the moment with two very big deficits, a fiscal deficit and a current account deficit. And so we, as I’ve said, have come to learn.”
President Xi told the Pakistani premier that he highly valued the two country’s relations, reaffirming they were “all-weather” friends.
“I attach great importance to China-Pakistan relations and am willing to work together with the prime minister to strengthen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership and build a new era of China-Pakistan destiny,” Xi said.
During the meeting, PM Imran extended an invitation to President Xi to visit Pakistan.
According to sources, PM Imran also took the Chinese premier into confidence regarding investments from other countries in CPEC.
Pakistan is expected to receive $6 billion economic package from China during PM Imran’s visit, the sources said. A loan of $1.5 billion and a grant of $1.5 billion are expected to be offered, along with an additional package of $3 billion for CPEC.
$1.5 billion are expected to be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan, while Pakistan Railways may also be included in the package.
PM Imran reached China on Thursday night, where he was welcomed by Chinese Transport Minister and Ambassador to Pakistan, Li Xiaopeng and Yao Jing, respectively, at the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, and Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid are accompanying the premier. Abdul Razak Dawood, the adviser to Khan on commerce, textiles, industries production and investment, and Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal are also with the PM on his China visit.
The visit comes on the Chinese leadership’s invitation, and is expected to result in various agreements between the two friendly nations.
On November 3, PM Imran will visit the Monument to the People’s Heroes at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and also meet the chairman of the National People’s Congress.
He will meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the same day at a ceremony during which the two leaders will sign memorandums of agreements between the two countries.
On November 4, the PM will speak at the Central Party School before leaving for Shanghai to participate in the first China International Import Expo. The premier will be a keynote speaker at the inauguration of the expo, and among 18 heads of state and government who will be attending the expo.
More than 2,800 companies from 130 countries and regions, and 160,000 buyers from over 80,000 Chinese and foreign companies will participate in the expo.
