Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China next week to attend the 2nd Belt and Road Forum and hold bilateral meetings with the top Chinese leadership, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday.
China will hold the Belt and Road Forum (BRF), whichprovides a platform to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI), from April 25 to 27 in Beijing.
According to reports, India has planned to boycott the forumfor the second time.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Prime Minister Khan willvisit China from April 25 to 28 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping whowill inaugurate the forum on April 26.
This will Khan’s second visit to China after becoming theprime minister in August last year. He earlier paid a state visit to China inNovember.
In addition to participating in the forum, Khan would alsohold bilateral meetings with President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang, the FO saidin a statement.
Pakistan and China will also sign several memorandum ofunderstandings and agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverseareas, the FO said.
Leaders from 40 countries and delegations from over 100countries, international organisations and corporate sector would participatein the event.
Khan will be accompanied by a ministerial delegation. Hewill deliver a keynote speech in the opening ceremony of the forum andparticipate in the Leaders’ Round Table.
He will also attend the Beijing International HorticultureExhibition-2019 and address Pakistan Trade and Investment Conference inBeijing.
The forum provides a platform to countries participating inthe BRI for exchanging views and experiences on regional connectivity, policysynergy, socio-economic development, and trade and commerce, the FO added.
China has played down India’s reported plans to boycott theBRF, saying India may have misunderstood the BRI and suggested New Delhi to”wait and see” before taking a decision.
The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched byChinese President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link SoutheastAsia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of landand sea routes.
Beijing already said officials of over 100 countries besides40 government leaders have agreed to take part in it.
The USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, whichhas been officially designated as a flagship project of the BRI, has become astumbling block for India to take part in it as the controversial project isbeing laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India has already protested to China over the CPEC violating its sovereignty and boycotted the first BRF held in 2017.