BEIJING, Feb 19: President General Pervez Musharraf and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao will hold formal talks on Monday on wide-ranging issues, covering the whole gamut of Pakistan-China relations and regional and international matters of mutual concern.

The president, who arrived in the Chinese capital on Sunday evening, has a busy agenda during his five-day stay in China which includes a meeting with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, interaction with a number of think-tanks and chief executive officers of leading Chinese companies and an address to the Pakistan-China Business Forum.

This is the third state visit of Pervez Musharraf to China as president of Pakistan.

The talks between the two heads of state will follow signing of some important agreements to further boost cooperation, in fields like energy, communications, agriculture, science and technology, trade and investment.

Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawal and other high-ranking Chinese officials received the president and First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf at the airport.

The president is accompanied by Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Defence Production Habibullah Warriach, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar, Ports and Shipping Minister Babar Khan Ghauri, Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment Omer Ahmed Ghuman and the Planning Commission’s Deputy Chairman Akram Shaikh.

On Monday, Chinese President Hu Jintao will welcome President Musharraf at a formal ceremony in the Great Hall of the People.

“This visit has vital importance as top leadership of both the countries will review multifaceted relations and regional and international issues of vital concern,” Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said ahead of the presidential trip.

Beijing has issued a special commemorative postal cover to mark the state visit of President Musharraf. “It is rare to publish such commemorative stamps during the visit by any foreign dignitary,” an official of the China postal department said.

The elegantly designed cover carries the signed photographs of the president along with a message “Pakistan-China close neighbours, good friends and partners.”

President Musharraf will meet around 100 top business executives and address the Pakistan-China Business Forum on Feb 21.

Several Chinese companies have shown interest in investing and entering into joint ventures with their Pakistani counterparts in different sectors of the economy. About 60 Chinese companies already have permanent offices in Pakistan which reflects their growing interest in the country’s booming economy that posted 8.4 per cent growth in the previous fiscal year and is set to maintain and sustain the robust growth.

Bilateral trade has registered significant and steady increase in recent years and has reached $4.26 billion in 2005.

As a prelude to signing a free trade agreement (FTA), two countries have started implementing an early harvest programme which will give a boost to bilateral relations.

Earlier, on his arrival at Beijing airport, President Musharraf was accorded a warm welcome by high-ranking Chinese officials, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, Salman Bashir, and other Pakistan Embassy officials. Two children presented him bouquets and students of the Pakistan Embassy College raised slogans and waved buntings to greet the president. President Musharraf is accompanied by his wife, some federal ministers and senior Pakistani officers, and business executives. Later, his motorcade drove to Diaoyutai state guest house, where he will be staying during the visit.

A traditional welcome awaits the president in the Great Hall of the People on Monday. President Musharraf is scheduled to hold formal talks with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao the same day. It will be followed by the signing of some important documents on bilateral cooperation.

Apart from President Hu and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, President Musharraf will meet other Chinese leaders, including the secretary general of the ruling Communist Party of China and head of the Central Military Commission (CMC). President Hu and President Musharraf had met in New York on Sept 15 last on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

“This is a very important state visit. The talks and meetings will focus on how to further enhance and deepen the friendship, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries,” a spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry told APP.

“We believe and hope that President Musharraf’s visit will help push forward the strategic multifaceted cooperative partnership,” he said.—APP