CPEC gains as Chinese premier arrives today

Li to hold talks with civil-military leadership; expected to sign $2b Karakoram project, soft launch Gwadar Airport.

ISLAMABAD:

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will begin a three-day official visit to Pakistan on Monday (today), first by any Chinese premier in 11 years, with an aim to give a new impetus to the bilateral cooperation at a time of changing geopolitics and challenges to the President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

During the visit, several agreements are expected to be signed between the two countries, including $2 billion loan for the construction of Karakoram Highway. The Chinese premier is also expected to perform soft launching of the Gwadar International Airport.

Premier Li is visiting Islamabad ahead of the start of the two-day meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a move seen by diplomatic sources as a message for those forces which had been trying to undermine China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"At the invitation of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Premier of the State Council of China Mr. Li Qiang is undertaking a bilateral visit to Pakistan on 14-17 October 2024," read a statement issued here by the Foreign Office on Sunday.

The Foreign Office said that Premier Li's visit was an expression of the importance attached by Pakistan and China to their "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership". It will be an occasion for the two sides to reaffirm mutual support on issues of core interest; advance high-quality development of CPEC; and reinforce regular exchanges on important regional and global developments.

Premier Li is accompanied by ministers and senior officials, including from the ministries of foreign affairs and commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Premier Li Qiang will lead their respective delegations to comprehensively discuss all aspects of Pakistan-China relations, including economic and trade ties and cooperation under CPEC.

The agenda of the visit, according to foreign ministry officials, is wide-ranging with focus on expanding cooperation and kick-starting the next phase of CPEC. The two sides will also discuss regional and global developments, they added.

other sources said that the finance and the planning ministries have completed working on several projects regarding the visit of Premier Li. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar told reporters on Sunday that the soft launch of Rs55 billion New Gwadar International Airport was expected during the visit.

Finance and planning ministry sources said Kohala Hydropower Project and Azad Patan Hydropower Project are likely to be discussed. Besides, the government also wants financial close agreement regarding the Gwadar Coal Power Plant.

Sources said that China wants an agreement in the offshore oil and gas reserves project. A protocol on the export of donkey meat to China is likely to be signed. Besides the central banks of the two countries were expected to sign the currency-swap agreement aimed at bilateral trade in yuan and rupee.

Pakistan's efforts to seek re-profiling of power sector loans is also on the agenda, but the sources are sceptical of any major breakthrough during the visit. Also the sources said no progress was likely on the mega railway project, Mainline (ML)-1 project.

Security for the Chinese working on CPEC and other projects in Pakistan would also remain at the top of agenda. After the recent attack outside the airport in Karachi, in which two Chinese nationals were killed, China may push for its proposal envisaging a joint security company, the officials said.

Besides his formal meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Chinese premier would call on President Asif Zardari and hold meetings with parliamentary leaders and senior military leadership of Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Premier will join a dozen of leaders from the SCO member states at the Council of the Heads of Government meeting – the second highest forum in the regional grouping—being held in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, advance delegations from five countries reached Islamabad on Sunday. They included four-member delegation of India, 76-member delegation of Russia, 15-members delegation of China, four-member delegation of Kyrgyzstan, two-member delegation of Iran, and seven officials of the SCO.

 

(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM IRSHAD ANSARI)