On October 16, 2023, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar arrived in China to participate in the ‘3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.’ His arrival was marked by a warm welcome, with Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, and Pakistan’s Envoy to China Moin-ul-Haq receiving him.
The Prime Minister’s visit to China is by invitation of China’s President Xi Jinping and includes a high-level delegation comprising cabinet members and senior government officials. During this visit, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is scheduled to partake in the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum and deliver a speech at the High-Level Forum titled ‘Connectivity in an Open Global Economy,’ set to take place on Wednesday.
Bilateral meetings are also on the agenda, with the Prime Minister engaging with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Mr. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of Politburo of the Communist Party of China. These discussions will encompass all aspects of bilateral relations, with a particular emphasis on enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two nations. Regional and global developments will also be on the table for discussion.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister will meet with leaders from other countries participating in the Belt and Road Forum. While in China, he plans to convene meetings with prominent Chinese entrepreneurs and lead an interactive roundtable on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between Pakistan and China.
To reinforce regional connectivity, trade, investment, and people-to-people interactions between the neighboring regions of Pakistan and China, the Prime Minister will embark on a two-day visit to Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. During his stay in Urumqi, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will meet with local leadership and business representatives and deliver a speech at Xinjiang University.
This visit by the Prime Minister occurs in the context of the ongoing celebrations marking the ten years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
