Ni Hao: Xi Jinping arrives today!

• Red carpet welcome awaits Chinese president; Xi to address parliament’s joint session tomorrow
• President Mamnoon says Chinese president’s visit would further strengthen Sino-Pak ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive today (Monday) on a much awaited two-day visit to Islamabad with important bilateral and regional issues on agenda.

The Chinese president will be accompanied by a large delegation, including First Lady Madam Peng Liyuan, senior ministers, high-level functionaries of the Communist Party and senior government officials.

The CEOs from a wide spectrum of business houses of China would also be part of the delegation. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet President Mamnoon Hussain, who will also host a luncheon in honour of the visiting dignitary.

All preparations have been completed to accord a red carpet welcome to the Chinese president. Main roads in the federal capital, particularly the Constitution Avenue, have been decorated with lights and flags of Pakistan and China. Portraits of the honorable guest and the Pakistani president and prime minister have been placed on the roads to depict the all-weather Pakistan-China friendship.

A fleet of eight JF-17 Thunder jets will receive the President of People’s Republic of China as his plane enters the Pakistani airspace and escort him to Islamabad airport.

A 21-gun salute will be presented to the honorable guest at the airport.

President Xi Jinping will meet President Mamnoon and hold official talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The two countries will sign a number of important agreements and MoUs relating to key development projects in the infrastructure, energy and communication sectors.

President Xi will also address the joint session of parliament in Islamabad on Tuesday. He will be conferred upon the highest civil award Nishan-e-Pakistan.

President Mamnoon Hussain says the visit of the Chinese president offers an historic opportunity to further deepen time-tested and all weather friendship between Pakistan and China. He was talking to Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khalid who called on him in Islamabad.

The president expressed the hope that the visit would see substantial progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project. He emphasized the significance of enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, particularly increase in bilateral youth exchanges. He commended the efforts of Masood Khalid in further strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The Chinese president will hold official talks with Prime Minister Sharif. Later, both countries would conclude a number of important agreements/MoUs relating to key development projects in the infrastructure, energy, and communication sectors under the ambit of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Other important agreements related to other areas, will also be signed on this occasion.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman and the three services chiefs will also call on the president of China. Pakistan and China attach the highest priority to the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. Exchanges at the highest level are the hallmark of their unique friendship and wide-ranging cooperation. This would be the Chinese president’s first foreign visit this year. The great achievement as a result of the visit would be signing of agreements pertaining to Pak-China economic corridor followed by 69 agreements relating to various sectors. The agreements would not only have international implications and also considered as essential for economic development in Pakistan.

Analysts maintain that other national and international issues cannot be overlooked that are important for the two countries. The Chinese president is visiting Pakistan when Kashmir issue is once again hot after Indian action against protesters in Indian-held Kashmir and arresting Hurriyat leaders.

Counter-terrorism, Pak-Afghan cooperation and reconciliation in Afghanistan, situation in Yemen are the issues that would come under discussion, official sources said. The issue of ISIS infiltration into the region, especially after the suicide attack in Jalalabad would also be discussed.

“During the visit, the two sides will review all aspects of their bilateral relations and also exchange views on regional issues and international developments. President Xi Jinping’s visit would further consolidate the existing ‘all weather relations’ between Pakistan and China, in all areas of importance, especially political, economic and strategic,” FO stated. The visit would be the most important highlight of the ‘Pakistan-China Year of Friendly Exchanges.’

Political leaders of Pakistan will meet the Chinese president at 6:30pm the same day. The Chinese Embassy invited the political leaders in consultation with PML-Q Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed. Invitations have been sent by the Chinese Embassy to those invited.

According to sources PTI’s Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have also been invited. Peoples Party President Co-Chairman Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari will also call on President Xi in Islamabad on Monday.