CHINA-PAKISTAN: CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING'S VISIT
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Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2-day state visit to Pakistan commenced on April 20, 2015. He will address a joint session of the Pakistani Parliament. Riaz Khokhar, former Pakistani Foreign Secretary from 2002 to 2005, spoke to China's official 'Global Times' and gave his insights on China-Pakistan relations. He said, inter alia, that: Pakistan-China relations have grown from strength to strength and President Xi Jinping's visit will greatly enhance the existing strategic, political and economic relationship between the two countries; Pakistan expects to benefit from the peaceful rise of China and its spectacular economic growth; the two leaders will exchange views on topical global and regional issues, especially on how to jointly deal with the scourge of extremism and terrorism in the region; about two dozen agreements are ready for signature of which the main will be the inauguration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); and that Pakistan expects China to offer substantial investments and loans to cover energy and infrastructure projects over the next decade. Commenting on China's concerns about terrorism and the security situation in Pakistan, Khokhar said they are "valid and understandable". He said "It is tragic that some Chinese citizens were killed and others were kidnapped and subjected to violence." Asserting that. Pakistan has taken Chinese concerns very seriously, he emphasised that Pakistan and China cooperate very closely and effectively on anti-terrorism in the border regions. Cooperation includes intelligence exchanges, joint counter-terrorism operations and handing-over of captured militants and terrorists. Khkhar added that "The two should also cooperate to identify hostile foreign elements, which create problems to undermine the solid relations between them".
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