By Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
At the special invitation of the Chinese leadership, Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China from 3-6 February 2022 to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of the Cabinet and senior government officials. As a global event, the Olympic Games foster mutual understanding, inclusivity, and friendship among the peoples of the world. Beijing will soon become the first city to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games. It is highly admirable that the Chinese government has made meticulous arrangements for holding the Winter Olympic Games despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
PM Imran Khan is himself a sportsman and understands the importance of sports. He is promoting sports in Pakistan as well as supporting it globally. He won the World Cup in Cricket in 1992, to make Pakistan a world Champion. His fame as a cricketer is well known globally and a major reason for his popularity in Pakistan.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.E. Premier Li Keqiang. The leaders will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation including CPEC. They will also have a wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues. Pakistan-China enjoys all-weather, time-tested, and all dimensions strategic relations. His visit further cements the existing cordial relations and may open new avenues of cooperation and collaboration.
China has become the largest investor in Pakistan and the biggest export market for Pakistani products. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of the Chinese mega initiative of BRI and is in the most advanced stage among all six planned economic corridors under BRI. Pakistan is a beneficiary of Chinese investments and CPEC. The major achievements are transforming Pakistan from an electricity deficient country to a self-sufficient nation. It has created new jobs for Pakistan and improved the standard of life. The people of Pakistan recognize the contribution of CPEC and are grateful to the Chinese for their in-time initiatives. In fact, CPEC is serving as Oxygen for the ailing economy of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister’s visit would mark the culmination of celebrations commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, with more than 140 events organized to showcase the resilience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the unfolding international situation. It would thus renew the bilateral commitment to taking the iron-clad partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights and add impetus to cooperation across multiple domains. Several MoUs and Agreements would be concluded during the visit.
While in Beijing, the Prime Minister would also meet prominent business leaders of China and representatives of leading Chinese think tanks, academia, and the media. The Prime Minister will also have other bilateral interactions on the sidelines.
Almost all of the Chinese leaders have visited Pakistan and almost all Pakistani leaders have visited China. The mutual visits are important to refresh the existing friendship and strengthen the ties further.
PM Imran Khan has already visited China four times, his first visit was before he became PM in 2011, the second was in November 2018, third and fourth were in April and October 2019. Due to COVID, the mutual visits faced limitations in 2020 and 2021. This will be his fifth visit – Feb. 2022.
This visit is very important in the perspective of geopolitics when China is being coerced from the West. Few nations are ganging up and forming alliances against China, and taking measures to contain China, counter China, and resist the rise of China. China needs friends more than ever. And Pakistan, as usual, always stands shoulder to shoulder with China, at all critical moments. Pakistan is a dependable friend and time-tested strategic partner. It is worth mentioning that the close relations between China and Pakistan are not against any third country and do not pose any threat to anyone. Our relations are bilateral and support each other only.
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan – Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are only of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinion or position of World Geostrategic Insights).