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Friday, November 22, 2024  
19 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446  

PM Imran arrives in Beijing on four-day official visit

PM Imran will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang
PM Imran was received by Assistant Foreign Minister of China H.E Mr Wu Jianghao.
PM Imran was received by Assistant Foreign Minister of China H.E Mr Wu Jianghao.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday reached China on a four-day official visit where he would join other world leaders attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics scheduled to be held Friday.

PM Imran was received by Assistant Foreign Minister of China H.E Mr Wu Jianghao upon reaching Beijing, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a Twitter post.

Accompanied by a high-level delegation including federal cabinet members, the prime minister would also meet the Chinese leadership.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood and Special Assistant on China Pakistan Economic Corridor Khalid Mansoor are part of the prime minister’s delegation.

During the visit, the PM will hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

While in Beijing, the PM would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think-tanks, academia and the media. He will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines.

During the prime minister's visit, Pakistan is set to float proposals to the Chinese government for renegotiation on contracts of power projects established under CPEC on the pattern of other IPPs or to purchase 1200-MW electricity from Pakistan for onward supply to Afghanistan, well-informed sources in CPEC Authority told Business Recorder.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Khalid Mansoor has finalised all the proposals with respect to issues of CPEC projects, their resolution mechanism, and future cooperation in different sectors.

According to CPEC Authority, over-dues/receivables of CPEC IPPs are now Rs 200 billion, and IPPs may default because of rising prices of coal in the international market. IPPs may also suspend the operations of power plants as per suspension clauses of the signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

“Prime Minister will draw the attention of Chinese top brass to the exceptional rise in capacity payments because of near-simultaneous arrival of new capacity from projects undertaken under CPEC,” the sources added.

Prior to departure, the premier held consultations with industrialists and businessmen to discuss the visit. The prime minister during the meeting said on Wednesday that the government was pursuing a long-term policy to promote industries and to increase exports and it was important to consult with the business community before visiting China.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Prime Minister's visit to China will help promote high-level exchanges and expand bilateral relations in diverse sectors.

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