What Happened: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit that will include meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, Dawn reported Oct. 7. The leaders will discuss expanding ongoing projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
Why It Matters: Khan's visit is intended to reassure China of Pakistan's commitment to CPEC amid a slowdown of projects under the flagship initiative and growing financing concerns as Islamabad's economic woes deepen. The visit also comes just days ahead of Xi's trip to India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and potentially discuss the volatile situation in Kashmir.
Background: CPEC, which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, aims to lessen Beijing's dependence on the Strait of Malacca by establishing overland trading routes linking the Arabian Sea to western China.
Read More:
- How an Indian Kashmir Fits Into Modi's Grand Plan (Aug. 29, 2019)
- Pakistan's Prime Minister Will Struggle With an Economic Slowdown of His Own Making (July 1, 2019)
- Why the Belt and Road Fuels India's Fears of Encirclement (April 19, 2019)
