ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China will have high echelon consultations on the bilateral, regional and international issues next week in Beijing as Foreign Secretary Syed Jalil Abbas Jailani is leaving for Chinese capital as special envoy of Pakistan’s leadership.
The scheduled trip of the foreign secretary to China has attained significance in the backdrop of just concluded high level US visit to Pakistan under US President Barack Obama’s special envoy for the region to Pakistan.
The maintenance of close ties with China in all spheres had throughout been cornerstone of Islamabad’s Foreign Policy as both the countries keep consulting each other on various issues irrespective of changes in the two countries.
The change in the Chinese leadership is taking place in the second week of the next month. It is understood that the change that happens after a decade would have deep impact on the domestic and external policies of that country.
Jailani will be in Beijing about a week before the change. He visited China with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf last month, and he was present in the meeting between Prime Minister Raja and his outgoing Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.
The foreign secretary’s visit to China at this juncture is viewed as significant event since Pakistan is going to take important decisions with regard to the developments in Afghanistan. Jalil Jailani, who will be leaving for Beijingon Monday next, would be staying there for three days.
The visit will also help Pakistan in having better understanding of the changes in the Pakistan’s closest friend’s policies towards the region. The foreign secretary will be present in high level deliberations mid-week before Eid holidays regarding his sojourn, the sources said.
Beijing is currently without a regular ambassador of Pakistan since no replacement was announced for Masood Khan, who had moved to the United Nations as country’s permanent representative early this month.
It is expected a formal decision would be taken about positing in China upon returning of the foreign secretary from that country. A senior diplomat in Pakistan’s embassy Zahoor Ahmad will be continuing to act as charged affairs in Beijing, the sources said.
Interestingly, a top Chinese leader Li Changchen, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China Central Committee, (CPCCC) visited Pakistan last week and had meetings with various leaders during his stay here.
Internews
