Pakistan Premier arrives China to a warm welcome
Pakistan Times Staff Report

BEIJING (China): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz arrived here Tuesday on a four- day official visit to China.

He was warmly received at the airport by the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister along with Pakistan's ambassador to China Muhammad Riaz Khan and other officials of the embassy. Two children presented bouquets to Shaukat Aziz.

The official welcome ceremony for the Pakistani prime minister would be held on today, Wednesday at the Great Peoples Hall where Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will welcome Shaukat Aziz.

The entourage

The Prime Minister is accompanied by a delegation which includes Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Jehangir Khan Tareen, Federal Minister for Labour Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nauraiz Shakoor, Federal Minister for Tourism Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal, Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Salman Shah, Minister of State Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, Chairman Board of Investment Wasim Haqqi and members of Parliament.

Consultations on UN reforms

Pakistan's first independent daily e-Newspaper, 'Pakistan Times' understands that during their formal talks, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao will consult on proposals on reforming the United Nations.

"The UN's reforms are the part of the agenda of the talks, to be held between two leaders here Wednesday," a senior Pakistani official said. "We want to adopt a common strategy on the issue, since the two countries have always been moving together while dealing with the regional and international issues, the sources said.

China supports the work of a high-level panel on reforming the UN and is giving serious thought to the proposals it submitted to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue.

Zhang said China would like to keep in touch and consult with its friends and relevant parties to bring out active progress in the issue. She said China applauds the work Annan has done and will continue to back his efforts in maintaining and strengthening the roles of UN In the world arena.●