President Musharraf to visit China next week: Vice FM

BEIJING: President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to attend the upcoming Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), said the Chinese vice Foreign Minister here Thursday.
“President Pervez Musharraf will address the ceremony at the inaugural session. During the visit the Chinese President Hu Jintao will hold official talks with him”, said Zhang Yesui while briefing the journalists on the 7th edition of the BFA scheduled for April 11 to 13 in the scenic seaside town of Boao, Hainan Province.
To a question about Pakistani President’s other engagements in China, he said that when he would come to Beijing, Chairman Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders will hold separate meetings with him.
President Musharraf has also other engagements in China. Both the countries would also sign a number of cooperative agreements, the Vice-Foreign Minister added.
The annual BFA meeting will focus on environment-related talks to build a sustainable Asia, he said President Hu Jintao will deliver a key note speech at the opening plenary of the 7th BFA session that will take place on April 12 in which he will present an over view of achievements and experiences obtained through thirty years of reforms and opening up policies and peaceful development.
He further said that President Hu would also going to discuss the opening up strategy for mutual benefit and win-win progress.
This year the theme of the BFA is “Green Asia:moving towards win-win through Changes”.
He said that the theme addresses the key issues in Asia’s development. The BFA was established in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between leaders from Asia and the world.
A number of state leaders from across the world would also attend this year’s BFA.
Over the three days of the 2008 Annual Conference participants will debate the move towards energy efficiency, how to secure Asia’s future through renewable energy sources, and how the private sector can contribute to improving the environment.
The 2008 event will have added significance as China marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Reform and Opening Up Policy, a major milestone in China’s history, and one that set the country on the course to its current economic success.