ISLAMABAD: The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that the visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will help strengthen bilateral relations between the two strategic partners in diverse fields.
Speaking during a regular news briefing in Beijing, Spokesperson Geng Shuang termed China and Pakistan as all-weather strategic partners. He said the two countries have maintained sound development momentum in bilateral relations with frequent high-level exchanges and productive cooperation outcomes.
The spokesperson added that Asif’s visit, that begins on Friday, would be another important interaction that would further advance the implementation of the cooperative consensus reached between Pakistan and China while deepening the across-the-board practical cooperation centered on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“During Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s visit, Chinese leaders will meet with him and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with him. The two sides will exchange views on China-Pakistan relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest,” he said.
Asif is going to Beijing on the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart on Friday for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments, which will come against the backdrop of the new US policy for Afghanistan.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday, the minister will leave for Beijing on the first leg of his tour to the regional countries to garner support for Pakistan in the wake of the US strategy announced by President Donald Trump last month. Asif will hold talks with State Councillor for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The statement added that the two sides would review bilateral relations and regional developments, including the situation in Afghanistan.
