ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday that the main objective of Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China was to participate in the Winter Olympics 2022 and express solidarity with Beijing as some countries boycotted the event.
In a statement, FM Qureshi said that the relations between Pakistan and China are exemplary and one cannot deny the importance of the relationship.
In view of the current situation, a strategy has been prepared on the basis of which the government has decided to approach the Chinese leadership.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China from February 3 to 5, the foreign minister said, during the three-day visit to the premier, attend the Beijing Olympics 2022 and hold important meetings with the Chinese President and Prime Minister.
"Our foreign policy is focused on economic diplomacy," he said, adding that investments and bilateral trade were also very important.
The External Affairs Minister said that history shows that Pakistan and China have always stood by each other in difficult times.
PM Imran Khan instructs all ministers to prepare MoU
On January 25, PM Imran had directed all the concerned ministers to prepare for signing all the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during his visit to China.
According to sources, five ministers will accompany PM Imran Khan on his three-day visit to China.
The Premier also briefed the Ministers about the COVID-19 protocols to be followed during their visit to China. He further directed all the ministers to seek necessary information from their ministries before this "important visit".
The Foreign Office had confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar Ahmed had said that Islamabad and Beijing officials will discuss issues including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the prime minister's visit.