Pakistani President To Visit China Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Pakistani President Arif Alvi is paying an official visit to China on March 16-17 to hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and other top officials, Alvi’s office said in a statement on March 15.

The statement said the visit aims at “further solidifying historic bonds” between the two countries and described China and Pakistan as “the closest friends and staunch partners.”

It also pointed out that the visit comes as China is “engaged in efforts to contain” the spread of the new coronavirus, which has affected 157 countries and territories since it was first recorded in Wuhan, a city in central China.

It’s Alvi’s first official visit to China, a strategic partner and major investor to Pakistan’s economy.

Beijing has pledged tens of millions of dollars in investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, part of its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.