President to discuss bilateral, defence ties with Chinese leaders

ISLAMABAD : President Pervez Musharraf will leave on a six-day state visit to China starting from Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues besides talks to further strengthen defence cooperation.
The visit, from April 10 to 15, at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao has been termed as part of regular high-level interaction between the two countries; reflective of close bilateral ties, by the Foreign Office.
“The President’s visit will reinforce the all-weather, time-tested friendship between the two countries and further enhance and deepen our strategic cooperative partnership,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq.
President Pervez Musharraf during the visit, will hold talks with President Hu Jintao in Sanya, and separate meetings in Beijing with Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese state leaders.
The President and the Chinese leadership will review the entire gamut of Pak-China bilateral relations besides discussing regional issues and international developments.
The President will also be the keynote speaker at BOAO Forum for Asia.
The theme for this year is “GREEN ASIA: Moving Towards Win-Win Through Changes”. The President will meet other world leaders attending the BOAO Forum.
President will visit Urumqi, the capital of the Muslim majority Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and meet with Xinjiang leadership at the last leg of his visit.
China is a major source of investment, trade and defence for Pakistan. Bilateral trade between the two countries has touched US 6.5 billion dollars. Pakistan and China signed a free trade pact in 2006 and hope to raise two-way trade to $15 billion within the next five years.
The President will be accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Minister for Defence Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar.
On Monday, a Shanghai shipyard launched the first of four F-22P frigates to be delivered to Pakistan. The fourth and last vessel will be completed at a Karachi shipyard in 2013.
The Pakistan Air Force has inducted into its fleet a fighter aircraft, called JF-17 Thunder, that is co-produced with China.
Pakistan was the first Islamic country to recognise People’s Republic of China on 4 January 1950. Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries on 21 May 1951.
The multi-faceted relations between Pakistan and China are built on commonality of interests in peace, security and development of the region, spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said.