Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in Beijing; set to meet top Chinese leaders

Beijing: Pakistan's newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday reached here for a four-day official visit during which he will meet top Chinese leaders and co-chair a bilateral strategic dialogue between the two all-weather friends.

Dar, who is also the foreign minister, was received by Director General Ambassador Wang Fu Kang and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Dar will meet top Chinese leaders and comprehensively review bilateral relations, including the upgradation of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement before his visit.

He will co-chair the 5th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, it said.

"The two sides will comprehensively review Pakistan-China bilateral relations including economic and trade cooperation; high-level exchanges and visits; upgradation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and future connectivity initiatives," the statement said.

The two foreign ministers are expected to discuss the possibility of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to Beijing.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).