ISLAMABAD: Upcoming visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to China will be highly important, as during his stay there he will get an opportunity to meet President Xi Jinping and attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing.
This was stated by the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing while giving a media’s briefing held on Monday at the Chinese embassy on the preparation of BRF that was also attended by the members of Think-Tank and representatives of Chinese companies.
During the briefing, he also answered questions relating to cooperative partnership, China’s financing for CPEC, peace and stability in the region, third-party participation and China’s related projects in Gilgit and Baluchistan.
There will be an important interaction between Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Xi Jinping on April 28. This will be Imran Khan’s second visit to China, during which he will be a ‘Guest Honour’ at the inaugural session of the conference.
The PM will also attend the International Horticulture Exhibition, scheduled to take place in Beijing on the occasion. The BRI’s conference will be participated by 40 heads of States and the governments.
Imran Khan will deliver a keynote address at the conference, during which he will apprise the participants about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that is a major project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Yao Jing was confidence that the visit will help expand and promote CPEC at a broader level, bringing some new projects in social and agriculture sector.
During the visit, the two countries will sign the 2nd phase of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will provide maximum concessions to Pakistan Commodities. During his four-day stay in Beijing, the Prime Minister is expected to address an investment conference.
There will be important headway on launching of ML-1 Railways project. In this connection, the two sides are likely to sign a formal document.
Yao Jing said, the BRI is a five-year-old and it has emerged as a unique model of international cooperation and connectivity, paving the way of prosperity and well-being at all levels, under the concept of shared destiny.
The sole purpose of the CPEC, he said is to participate in the socio-economic development of Pakistan and to improve the living standard of the local community, he added.
The ambassador said Pakistan has a bright future and it has an emerging economy. He appreciated the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and said he was doing his best bringing Pakistan out of the economic crisis.
About the BRF, he said there will 12 thematic forums and a CEO conference would be held on April 25, the opening ceremony and a high-level meeting on April 26, and the leaders’ roundtable on April 27.
President Xi will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech. He will also chair the leaders’ roundtable and brief media from home and abroad about the outcomes after the roundtable.
The theme of the second BRF is “Belt and Road Cooperation, Shaping a Brighter Shared Future. The main purpose is to promote the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation, which is the common aspiration of countries participating in the initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, aims at enhancing all-around connectivity through infrastructure construction, exploring new driving force for the world economic growth, and building a new platform for world economic cooperation.
As the host country, China will maintain close communication and coordination with all parties to prepare for the forum with openness, inclusiveness and transparency, upholding the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits.
It is believed that the forum will inject stronger impetus into the world economy, open even broader horizon for the development of the countries, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.