New Delhi

Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday (May 4) that China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang will travel to Pakistan on Friday for a two-day visit after attending the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation Foreign Ministers meet (SCO) hosted by India in Goa. 

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Qin is attending the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting being held on May 4 and 5 in Panaji, Goa where his Pakistan counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is also present.

In addition to being the Foreign Minister, Qin is also the state Councillor of China. It is a higher rank associated with the Communist Party of China.

SCO bloc consists of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India holds the presidency of the grouping for this year.

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Watch | SCO Foreign Ministers Meet: Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to attend summit, no meeting with India

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Notably, the Chinese Foreign Ministry while announcing the visit of Qin to Myanmar and India on May 2 did not include his visit to Islamabad, though the Pakistan media reported about it.

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The ministry instead announced his visit to Pakistan separately on Thursday.

During his Pakistan visit, Qin Gang is due to take part in China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' meeting.

The trilateral is being held less than a month after the 'Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan Plus Afghanistan' Foreign Ministers meeting of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran in Samarkand, in which Qin presided.

Announcing Qin's visit to Pakistan, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said that this will be his first visit to Pakistan after taking charge and "an important part of the recent close and frequent interactions between the high levels of China and Pakistan".

The reference apparently was the just concluded maiden visit of Pakistan's new Army Chief Asim Munir, here during which he held a series of meetings with top Chinese Generals and top diplomat Wang Yi who is the Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

During Gen. Munir's visit, China's new Premier Li Qiang also held his first phone call with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and promised continued financial help for Pakistan which is facing a serious political and economic crisis.

In Pakistan Qin will "meet with the leader of Pakistan and co-chair the fourth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari", the foreign ministry statement which included a Q&A posted on the website on Friday said.

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