—Prime minister says relations with Beijing integral part of Pakistan’s foreign policy
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday presided over a high-level meeting to discuss his upcoming visit to China and reviewing the projects falling under the umbrella of multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The prime minister is likely to undertake his first visit to Beijing this month on the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. This will be the second foreign trip of Imran Khan since he assumed the office of prime minister in August.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Development and Planning Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed attended the meeting at PM Office.
Power Minister Omar Ayub Khan, advisors to prime minister Abdul Razak Dawood and Dr Ishrat Hussain, the foreign secretary, planning secretary and other senior officials were also present.
The prime minister said that Pakistan’s ties with China were the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy and vowed to further expand ties between the two countries in the days to come. During the meeting, PM Imran said that Pakistan’s relations with China are “strong and everlasting”.
PM Khan said that the CPEC was a great opportunity to learn from the Chinese experience especially in the social sector, agriculture and other areas. He added that the agricultural output of the country, considered as the backbone of the economy, can be enhanced manifolds by learning from China and employing the latest technologies and efficient methods.
The premier emphasised on the need to focus on the early establishment of Special Economic Zones in various parts of the country which would help the local industry to grow through industrialization, which would also create huge employment opportunities for the youth.
The prime minister said that the CPEC also offered opportunities to other countries to invest in the projects and reap benefits in various sectors.
