PM leaves for China today to attend Winter Olympics

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan will begin a three-day visit to Beijing from today (Thursday) to show solidarity with China at a time when the US and its western allies have decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

Officials said the visit was primarily aimed at sending a message to China’s adversaries that Pakistan stood behind its “all-weather and time-tested friend”.

However, the visit, which is not officially a bilateral one, is also being used as an opportunity by Islamabad to discuss some pressing bilateral issues, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Prior to the visit, several preparatory meetings took place in Islamabad to fine-tune the agenda, which focused on enhancing trade, seeking investment and transfer of industries from China to Pakistan.

Just a day before the prime minister is set to leave for Beijing, he presided over a meeting attended by federal ministers Shaukat Tarin, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar and Hammad Azhar; Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood; State Minister Farrukh Habib; National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf; and Special Assistants Shahbaz Gill and Khalid Mansoor.

The prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the projects related to CPEC, Special Economic Zones, trade, information technology and agriculture.

The Express Tribune had earlier reported that one of the objectives of the visit was to seek $3 billion in loan to stabilise Pakistan’s dwindling foreign currency reserves and boost investment in various sectors of the economy.

The premier may also ask the Chinese leadership to roll over the loans taken by Pakistan for different projects, including the energy sector, under CPEC.

The Pakistani government has already settled its issues with independent power producers (IPPs) by reducing the rate of return.

Also read: PM’s China trip to draw investment in power sector

The prime minister, as per an official handout, hoped that his upcoming visit would give new impetus to bilateral ties between the two countries.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office read that at the special invitation of the Chinese leadership, Prime Minister Imran Khan would visit China from February 3-6, 2022 to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games.

It added that the prime minister would be accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of the cabinet and senior government officials.

“As a global event, the Olympic Games foster mutual understanding, inclusivity and friendship among the peoples of the world. Beijing will soon become the first city to host both the summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. It is highly admirable that the Chinese government has made meticulous arrangements for holding the Winter Olympic Games despite the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The prime minister is attending the opening ceremony despite the US and other Western countries refusing to send their respective official delegations to the event, accusing China of violating human rights.

Also read: Pakistan-China friendship unparalleled in inter-state relations: PM

The Foreign Office said during the visit, PM Imran would hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

It added that the leaders would review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation, including CPEC.

They would also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues.

The premier’s visit would mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, with more than 140 events organised to showcase the resilience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and the unfolding international situation.

It would thus renew the bilateral commitment to taking the iron-clad partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights and add impetus to cooperation across multiple domains. A number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements would be signed during the visit.

While in Beijing, PM Imran would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and media. He will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines.

This will be the fourth visit of PM Imran to China but the latest trip comes against the backdrop of multiple developments including dip in Pak-US ties and reports of the Chinese “disappointment” over the slow or no progress on CPEC projects.

Also read: China to ensure safe, splendid Olympics, Xi tells US mayors

Pakistan’s relationship with China has become more significant in view of the new cold-war between China and the US. Although Pakistan has made it clear it would not become part of “block politics”, it is evident that Islamabad is more inclined towards Beijing in an increasingly polarised world.

The evidence of that is that the prime minister is attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, which is otherwise boycotted by the US and certain other western countries. The premier earlier skipped the Democracy Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.

The reason Pakistan stayed away from the summit was that the US had extended an invitation to Taiwan, which China considers part of its mainland territory.

Pakistan had consulted China before making the final call. Beijing had appreciated Pakistan’s stance on the Democracy Summit.

Observers believe that the upcoming visit of the premier to Beijing will be closely watched as he would not only meet with the Chinese leadership but interact with the Russian president too.