Chinese FM Qin Gang arrives in Pakistan on two-day official visit

ISLAMABAD: China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Mr Qin Gang arrived here on Friday on a two-day official visit to Pakistan to attend the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, the Foreign Office said.

This is the first official visit of Qin Gang to Pakistan after taking over as China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister. The Chinese foreign minister will participate in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue scheduled to be held on Saturday.

A high-level Afghan delegation led by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has already arrived in Islamabad. The fourth round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue will be co-chaired by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang.

The structured mechanism is designed to review bilateral cooperation in key areas. The Foreign Office said that during the strategic dialogue, both sides will reaffirm the abiding vitality of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China.

Furthermore, they will develop a roadmap for multidimensional cooperation, and discuss the evolving regional and global landscape, according to the FO. The third round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue took place in July 2021 in Chengdu, China.

The visit by Qin underscores the importance of Pakistan and China’s relationship and their commitment to further strengthening their strategic partnership.

Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, in a statement highlighted the significance of Qin’s visit to Pakistan, stating that it was an important aspect of the recent close and frequent interactions between high-level officials of China and Pakistan.

The spokesperson also added that during this visit, both sides will engage in in-person and in-depth communication regarding bilateral relations as well as the international and regional situation.

The spokesperson reiterated that China and Pakistan shared an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and were ironclad friends.

In this context, the spokesperson recalled Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s "successful visit to China" in November last year, during which the leaders of both countries charted a course for bilateral relations.

"Additionally, the premiers of China and Pakistan also had a phone call on April 27 to further strengthen their strategic partnership."

"China hopes that this visit will follow through on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, further deepen strategic communication and practical cooperation, promote the building of an ever closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute positive energy to the region and the wider world," the official added.

Meanwhile, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi also arrived in the country on a four-day official visit.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Muttaqi will lead a high-level delegation, which includes Acting Afghan Minister for Commerce and Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi, and senior officials from the Afghan Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport, and Trade.

Apart from holding bilateral meetings, the minister will also participate in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue  on Saturday.

The visit of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is a continuation of Pakistan's political engagement process with Afghanistan, which includes the visit of Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar to Kabul on November 29 last year and the visit of a high-level delegation led by the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to Kabul on February 22 this year.

During the Afghan delegation's visit, the two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security, and education domains.

Pakistan is desirous of a peaceful, prosperous, stable and connected Afghanistan and reiterates its commitment to pursue continuous and practical engagement with the interim Afghan government.