State visit by Xi Jinping to Pakistan

Last updated

State Visit of Xi Jinping to Pakistan
Date20–21 April 2015
Venue Islamabad
Murree
Cause China–Pakistan Economic Corridor
Organised by
Eight JF-17 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force welcoming and escorting Xi Jinping on his arrival in Pakistan's airspace. Eight Pakistan Air Force JF-17s escort Air China Boeing 747-400.jpg
Eight JF-17 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force welcoming and escorting Xi Jinping on his arrival in Pakistan's airspace.

Xi Jinping's visit to Pakistan from 20 to 21 April 2015, was the first state visit of Xi Jinping to Pakistan. Xi is the second Chinese leader to visit Pakistan in the 2010s after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Pakistan between 22 and 23 May 2013. It was also Xi's first overseas trip of 2015. The trip led to the signing of accords for $46 billion of investment in Pakistan by China for the construction of roads, rails, and power plants to be built on a commercial basis by Chinese companies over 15 years. Most of the 51 projects were part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Contents

The trip also showed the confirmation of the sale of eight Chinese submarines, more than doubling Pakistan's fleet. [1] The trip was tremendously covered by international media. The New York Times claimed it to be a "gesture likely to confirm the decline of American influence in that nation". [2] [3] [4] According to the BBC, the Chinese state and its banks would lend to Chinese companies to carry out the work, thereby making it a commercial venture with direct impact on China's slackening economy. [5]

In this state visit, Pakistan conferred its highest civilian award Nishan-e-Pakistan on Xi Jinping for his "outstanding contribution in promotion of relationship between the two countries." [6] [7] This was the fourth time that Pakistan awarded Chinese Premier or President this award, earlier Li Peng (1999), Hu Jintao (2006), Li Keqiang (2013) were awarded.

Background

Xi was to visit Pakistan in 2014 during his South Asia trip to India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives but postponed it due to political unrest. [8] In February 2015, some reports of Xi Jinping's trip to Pakistan to attend the Pakistan Day Parade came in the backdrop of US President Barack Obama's second visit to India to attend the Delhi Republic Day parade. [9] Pakistan also set to hold Pakistan Day parade after gap of 7 years since 2008. [10] However, in March 2015, National Security Advisor of Pakistan Sartaj Aziz cleared that President Xi may not visit Pakistan day parade but confirmed that he would be making his first state visit to Pakistan within the 'next few months.' [11] Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also confirmed that Xi Jinping would be making his first state visit to Pakistan soon. [12]

Agreements

The details of the agreements signed between Pakistan and China: [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwadar Port</span> Deep-water seaport in Balochistan, Pakistan

The Gwadar Port is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan and is under the administrative control of the Maritime Secretary of Pakistan and operational control of the China Overseas Port Holding Company. The port features prominently in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan, and is considered to be a link between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Maritime Silk Road projects. It is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Turbat, and 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the east of Chabahar Port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Pakistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

China–Pakistan relations, also referred to as Chinese-Pakistani relations or Sino–Pakistani relations, refers to the bilateral relations between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Formal relations between China and Pakistan were established in 1950, when the Dominion of Pakistan was among the first countries to sever diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) government in favour of recognizing the PRC as the legitimate "China". Since then, relations between the two countries have been extremely cordial for more than half a century, which are influenced by their similar geopolitical interests. Both countries have placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a "special relationship" between them, and their regular exchanges of high-level visits have culminated in the establishment of various cooperative measures. China has provided economic, technical, and military assistance to Pakistan; both sides regard each other as close strategic allies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar Port</span> Port in Iran

Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths. It is only about 170 kilometres west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan–South Korea relations</span> Bilateral relations

Pakistan–South Korea relations refers to bilateral diplomatic relationship between Pakistan and South Korea. Since the 1980s, the relations between the two Asian states have improved and periodically enhanced. Pakistan has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea, and South Korea has an embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan is one of the few countries that has good relations with both North Korea and South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Madagascar relations</span> Bilateral relations

China–Madagascar relations refer to the bilateral relations between China and Madagascar. China and Madagascar established diplomatic relations on November 6, 1972. China has an embassy in Antananarivo and Madagascar has an embassy in Beijing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Pakistan Economic Corridor</span> Infrastructure and geostrategic project

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a 3000 km Chinese infrastructure network project undertaken in Pakistan. This sea-and-land based corridor is aimed to secure and reduce the passage for China's energy imports from the Middle East by avoiding existing route from the Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, which in case of a war could be blocked and thus hampering the Chinese energy dependent economic avenues. Developing a deep water port at Gwadar in Arabian Sea and a well built road and rail line from this port to Xinjiang Province in western China would be a shortcut for boosting the trade between Europe and China. In Pakistan, its aim is to overcome an electricity shortfall, infrastructural development and modernize transportation networks. Along with shifting it from an agricultural based economic structure to industrial based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belt and Road Initiative</span> Chinas global infrastructure project

The Belt and Road Initiative, known within China as the One Belt One Road or OBOR/1B1R for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations. It is considered a centerpiece of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping's foreign policy. The BRI forms a central component of Xi's "Major Country Diplomacy" strategy, which calls for China to assume a greater leadership role for global affairs in accordance with its rising power and status. It has been compared to the American Marshall Plan. As of August 2023, 155 countries were listed as having signed up to the BRI. The participating countries include almost 75% of the world's population and account for more than half of the world's GDP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th BRICS summit</span> 2016 international relations conference

The 2016 BRICS summit was the eighth annual BRICS summit, an international relations conference attended by the heads of country or heads of government of the five member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The summit was held from 15 to 16 October 2016 at the Taj Exotica hotel in Benaulim, Goa, India. India holds the chair of the BRICS from February 2016 to December 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silk Road Fund</span> Chinese state-owned investment fund

The Silk Road Fund is a China Government Guidance Fund to foster increased investment in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, an economic development initiative primarily covering Eurasia. The Chinese government pledged US$40 billion for the creation of the investment fund established on 29 December 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Port Qasim Power Project</span> Coal powered electrical generation project in Pakistan

The 1,320 megawatt Pakistan Port Qasim Power Project comprises two 660 megawatt supercritical coal power plants, one of which was inaugurated in December 2016 as part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. The $2.09 billion project is located on 330.7 acres at Port Qasim, 37 kilometers east of Karachi in Sindh Province. The project is part of a group of 14 energy projects which fall under the fast-tracked "Early Harvest" program of the $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zonergy</span>

Zonergy is a Chinese energy conglomerate engaged in the development of solar and biomass energy and the cultivation of palm oil.

The Engro Thar Coal Power Project (Thar-ll) is a coal-fired power plant developed as part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and China Machinery Engineering Corporation in the Thar Block-II of the Thar Coalfield, Tharparkar District, Sindh, Pakistan 25 kilometers from the town of Islamkot near the village of Singharo-Bitra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Alignment</span>

The Western Alignment refers to the portions of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which are located in the Pakistani provinces of northwestern Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azerbaijan–China relations</span> Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China were established on April 2, 1992. The relations between the two countries have developed smoothly and high-level exchanges have been close. The PRC embassy in Baku openly commends Azerbaijan for supporting its stance on the political status of Taiwan, Tibet's sovereignty, the conflict in Xinjiang, and the suppression of Falun Gong. All political forces have actively advocated strengthening friendly cooperation with China. China was one of the first countries to recognize independence. President Aliyev came to China in August 2008 and May 2014 to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games and the fourth summit of the Asia Cooperation and Confidence Measures Conference. In March 2005 and December 2015, he twice went to China for state affairs. access. In June 2018, the President of the National Assembly, Assador, visited China. In May 2016, Special Envoy of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping, member of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Secretary of the CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Meng Jianzhu visited Afghanistan. In June of the same year, Zhang Gaoli, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, visited Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central African Republic–India relations</span> Bilateral relations

Central African Republic–India relations refers to the bilateral relations between the Central African Republic (CAR) and India. The Embassy of India in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo is concurrently accredited to CAR. India also maintains an Honorary Consulate General in Bangui. CAR has no diplomatic mission in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honduras–India relations</span> Bilateral relations

Honduras–India relations refers to the international relations that exist between Honduras and India. The Ambassador of India in Guatemala City is concurrently accredited to Honduras. India also maintains an Honorary Consul General in Tegucigalpa. Honduras is accredited to India from its embassy in Kuwait City.

Green finance is officially promoted as an important feature of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's signature global economic development initiative. The official vision for the BRI calls for an environmentally friendly "Green Belt and Road".

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium is a platform for joint financing of development projects by members and other participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The Gwadar Coal–Power Plant represents a 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power facility situated in Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan. This power plant stands as a significant energy initiative within the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The primary objective of this undertaking is to enhance the dependability of the indigenous power grid, thereby addressing the challenges faced in present economic advancement and urban development within the Gwadar region.

References

  1. China's Xi Pours Money Into Pakistan, His ‘All-Weather’ Friend
  2. Xi Jinping Heads to Pakistan, Bearing Billions in Infrastructure Aid
  3. Pakistan lands $46 billion investment from China
  4. China and Pakistan to open $46bn 'economic corridor'
  5. What China's and Pakistan's special friendship means
  6. "Pakistan confers highest civilian award on Chinese president". The Times of India. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  7. "Pakistan confers Nishan-e-Pakistan on Chinese president Xi Jinping". Hindustan Times. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  8. "Chinese President Xi Jinping set to visit Pakistan next week". The Economic Times. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  9. "Chinese President Xi Jinping Unlikely to Participate in Pakistan National Day Parade". NDTV. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  10. "After 7-year gap, Pakistan Day to see military parade in full glory". Dawn. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  11. "Chinese President may not attend Pakistan Day parade: Sartaj Aziz". 6 March 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  12. "Xi Jinping to make first state visit to Pakistan soon, says Chinese foreign minister". The Express Tribune. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  13. Agreements signed between Pakistan and China