President arrives in China on six-day state visit

SANYA (China) : President Pervez Musharraf arrived here Thursday on a six-day state visit to China, to discuss with its leaders the measures to further strengthen political, bilateral, defence and trade ties. A red carpet was rolled out for the President and his entourage as they alighted from the ‘Pakistan One’ at the Phoenix airport, decorated with the flags of Pakistan and China.
The President was received by Minister for Industries and Information Lee E Chong and Vice Governor Hainan province Lin Fang Lee.
Two young girls attired in traditional Chinese dresses presented bouquets to the President and the first lady.
A formal welcome ceremony for the President will be held Friday morning.
President Musharraf, accompanied by the Ministers for Defence Ch Ahmed Mukhtar and Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be holding talks with President Hu Jintao on Friday, that will be preceded by an exclusive meeting of the two leaders. President Hu Jintao will also host a banquet in his honour later in the evening.
He will also discuss the regional situation and international matters with the Chinese leaders.
The focus will be on several ongoing development projects in Pakistan and the prospects for inviting more investment from China.
President Musharraf is also scheduled to have a meeting with President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse. Sri Lanka is the second country after China that has a Free Trade Agreement with Pakistan. The two leaders are expected to discuss ways and means for further improvement of their trade and commerce ties.
The President will also meet Prime Minister of Australian Kevin Michael on Friday. President Musharraf was the first head of state to have visited Australia and the two countries had evinced keen interest in expanding ties in all areas, with particular emphasis on improvement of Pakistan’s dairy, livestock and agriculture sectors. There is a wide scope of seeking Australian assistance in helping Pakistan in value-addition of its products through transfer of technology.
Besides the two Ministers, Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr Atta ur Rehman, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Muhammad Akram Sheikh and Chairman Trade Development Authority of Pakistan will assist the President during the talks.
The President will make a keynote speech at the inaugural session of the Boao Forum for Asia on Saturday.