Pakistani PM's Chinese trip cements relations: Pakistani Ambassador

On Friday, new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan started his four-day official visit to China, a trip seen as vital to step up the two nations’ long-standing friendship, as well as a chance to explore new avenues of cooperation.

“During his first visit to China, the Prime Minister and his Chinese counterparts will take a comprehensive review of bilateral relations, as well as displaying Pakistan’s market potential and export capacity at the China International Import Expo (CIIE),” Khalid Masood, the Pakistani ambassador to China, told People’s Daily Online.

This will be Khan’s first official visit to China after assuming office in August. During his visit, the Prime Minister will have meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, as well as attending the CIIE, leading a business delegation of more than 70 entrepreneurs to discuss new cooperative opportunities in areas including agriculture, technology and education.

“China and Pakistan are old friends, close partners and good neighbors. The Prime Minister’s visit will reinforce our friendship and partnership, while we would also like to study China's model, to see what advantages we can extract from China’s experience,” added Masood.