- PM Sharif to sign 17 MoUs under Pakistan-China Economic Corridor project while 23 more will be executed during Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan
- Chinese officials confirm that Chinese president’s visit was postponed due to anti-government sit-ins
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to sign agreements for around 17 projects as a part of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor project during Sharif’s upcoming visit to China, Pakistan Today has learnt.
PM Sharif is scheduled to leave for China on November 7 to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Leaders’ Meeting. However, on the sidelines, he will meet the Chinese leadership and signs various memorandums of understanding (MoUs).
According to official diplomatic sources the agreements for the projects are named “early harvest projects” which are to be completed in a short span of two to three years.
Moreover, 23 agreements would be signed during the Chinese president’s visit to Islamabad once the political situation improves, the officials said.
“We are closely working with our Pakistani counterparts and as soon as the situation improves, we will start preparatory work for President Xi’s visit to Islamabad,” the sources added.
WHAT LED TO PRESIDENT XI’S VISIT POSTPONEMENT?
Irrespective of claims by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, official diplomatic sources in China told Pakistan Today that Chinese president’s scheduled visit was postponed due to “volatile and uncertain” political situation in Islamabad.
Sources said that around 40 agreements for new projects under the Pakistan China Economic Corridor project were to be signed during the visit in September last which could not be materialised.
Chinese preparatory team stationed in the Chinese embassy in Islamabad had worked days and nights to make President Xi’s visit a success but it could not be materialised, sources added.
“Initially the Chinese government wanted not to postpone the visit despite the marches announced by PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). However, things got from bad to worse when the advance team sent to Pakistan for assessment and clearance for the president’s visit couldn’t go to the airport on the day protesters entered the Red Zone. In such a security situation, no one could imagine the visit of President Xi,” the sources added.
The sources said that the prime minister had to provide a helicopter to help the team members reach airport and board a plane back home.
“We contacted the Pakistani government, the army, opposition parties including the PTI, Awami Muslim League (AML), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and PAT for the visit. Everyone assured us to make appropriate security arrangements and resolving the situation before the arrival of President Xi,” the sources said.
“We contacted the PTI leadership five times and they always gave us assurance. But political volatile situation could not be improved and finally we gave up hopes,” an official involved with the preparatory arrangements for President Xi’s visit said.