ISLAMABAD: President Xi Jinping will receive three world leaders in Beijing, including US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in the last two weeks of this month.
The visits, one after the other, in the backdrop of regional and international developments, have signified China’s role and influence on the global horizon.
Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here on Saturday that all three visits would have specific bilateral dimensions, but aggression against Iran would figure prominently in the course of talks.
President Trump would be landing on Thursday next with the baggage of attacks on Iran and, in all probability, will discuss trade and economic ties with his hosts. However, President Xi would take up the Middle Eastern conflict with special reference to Iran on a priority. For this reason, it is likely the US president would give final shape to the truce with Iran in 48 hours starting tomorrow (Monday morning).
Diplomatic sources hinted that Russian president could arrive in Beijing on May 18. Both visiting leaders are heading their countries’ delegations, which are engaged in active war in their respective spheres. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be in Beijing on May 23, but the PM House sources told this scribe that exact schedule has not been determined yet and it may shift towards the end of the month.
Trump will stay in Beijing for two nights, while Putin and Shehbaz Sharif will be in China for three nights. Pakistan is actively involved in mediation between Iran and the United States, and the visit by the Pakistani leader immediately after the US and Russian presidents would greatly assist in advancing this role. Pakistan has kept China informed throughout its efforts for Middle Eastern peace, and the Beijing trip would further facilitate and strengthen Pakistan’s position in carrying out this historic role, the sources said.
Beijing’s enthusiasm about the Russian president’s visit is evident, where provision of energy for China would figure prominently. “The visit aims to solidify the ‘no-limits’ partnership, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the strategic partnership and 25th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between China and Russia,” Chinese diplomats had observed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will also attend the celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He will have detailed meetings with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang. Pakistan and China will also ink several agreements and MoUs pertaining to economic cooperation. The sources said that Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ataullah Tarar and Syed Tariq Fatemi will also accompany the prime minister.
