ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang arrived on a two-day official visit on Friday to participate in the 4th round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue as well as the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue being held on Saturday (today).

Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase, he was received by high officials of the Foreign Office.

At the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang is on his maiden visit to Pakistan since assuming office.

Trilateral dialogue: Chinese FM, Afghan acting FM to arrive today

FM Bilawal and State Councillor Qin Gang will co-chair the 4th round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue Saturday (today) followed by a joint media stakeout. The Strategic Dialogue is a structured mechanism that reviews bilateral cooperation in key areas.

“The two sides will reaffirm the abiding vitality of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership; develop a roadmap for multidimensional cooperation between Pakistan and China; and discuss the evolving regional and global landscape,” Foreign Office said in a statement. The 3rd round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue took place in July 2021 in Chengdu, China.

The Acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is also scheduled to arrive later on Friday night on a four-day official visit for bilateral talks as well as for participating in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue scheduled to be held on Saturday.

In his visit from 5th to 8th May 2023, the Afghan acting foreign minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, which includes the acting Afghan Minister for Commerce and Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi, and senior officials from the Afghan ministries of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Trade.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023