ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to pay a two-day visit to China this week to discuss economic cooperation between the two neighbors and the situation in Kashmir.
Khan's third visit to Beijing in less than a year is scheduled to start on October 8 amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over New Delhi's decision in August to strip the Indian-administered part of Kashmir of its special autonomy and to impose a security lockdown.
China, which also has border disputes with India, has warned New Delhi not to take any unilateral step aimed at changing the status of the disputed Himalayan region.
Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-led India have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, two of which were over control of Kashmir, which is claimed by both countries in its entirety.
Khan's office said in a statement on October 7 that his trip "will be instrumental in further cementing Pakistan's economic, investment and strategic ties with China."
Beijing has pledged tens of millions of dollars in investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, part of its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
Calling Pakistan and China "closest friends, staunch partners and 'iron brothers,'" the statement said Khan will hold talks with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang.
A number of agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit.
Pakistan's Khan To Visit 'Staunch Partner' China This Week
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Four Years On, UN Says Taliban Close To 'Erasing' Afghan Women From Public Life
2Afghan Women, Girls 'Bear Brunt' Of Earthquake Amid Taliban Restrictions
3Kabul's Quiet Resistance: Young Afghans Navigate Life Under The Taliban
4China Dangles Belt And Road Investment To Mend Taliban-Pakistan Ties
5Afghan Woman Who Lost All Male Relatives In Earthquake Faces New Barriers
6World Food Program Warns Of 'Unprecedented' Hunger Crisis In Afghanistan
7Russia Boosts The Taliban's Quest For Legitimacy. Who Will Be Next?
8Taliban Rulers Seek Outside Help As Workers Race To Aid Earthquake Victims
9This Afghan Teen Is The Sole Survivor From His Family After Deadly Earthquake
10Commandos Airdropped Into Remote Afghan Region In Race To Rescue Earthquake Survivors
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.