Chinese President Xi Jinping is all set to visit Pakistan soon as part of the two countries' yearly high-level strategic council meeting. The details of the visit are still being finalised and dates are also being decided.
The Chinese President's visit was scheduled for earlier this year in the month of June, but could not happen due to COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be the second visit of the Chinese President outside the country amidst COVID outbreak in 2020, the first being to Myanmar in January this year.
Jinping had last visited Pakistan in 2015 and around 51 projects were signed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at the time. That was also the first state visit of the Chinese leadership to Pakistan. Both Islamabad and Bejing have close ties, and have termed it as "all-weather friendship".
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had last year in June met Jinping at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan during the 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit of which India was also a participant.
The visit by Chinese president comes amidst growing influence of Bejing in south Asia and deteriorating ties with New Delhi.
Chinese forces were involved in a violent face-off with the Indian forces at the Line of Actual Control or LAC in eastern Ladakh in June. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the face-off, while the Chinese side also suffered casualties. They, however, did not officially disclose the number of casualties.
