BEIJING, Oct 14: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in China on Tuesday for his first official visit since taking office, aiming to cement economic and commercial ties with the long-time ally.

President Zardari is expected to sign a range of agreements with Beijing during his four-day visit. The agreements will focus on strengthening strategic, economic and cultural ties.

Mr Zardari’s visit comes at a time when Pakistan’s relations with the United States are strained after a series of air raids and at least one ground assault.

Analysts said that while Pakistan would continue to act as an ally of the United States, Mr Zardari’s visit to China demonstrated Islamabad’s tendency to ‘look East’ when its ties with the West become strained.

According to APP, President Zardari was met upon arrival in Beijing by Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan and Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Luo Zhaohui.

A formal welcome ceremony will be held on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People, where Chinese President Hu Jintao would meet President Zardari.

A number of agreements, protocols and memorandums of understanding will also be signed on Wednesday.

During his four-day visit, the president will hold talks with the Chinese leadership, focusing on strengthening Pakistan-China strategic partnership and upgrading the level of cooperation in trade, investment, defence, banking sector and science and technology.

President Zardari will also hold meetings with the Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Wu Bangguo, and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jia Qingling.

The president will also hold meetings with a number of Chinese business executives and heads of financial institutions.

Pakistan’s ambassador to China Masood Khan, who briefed the media about the importance of the visit after Mr Zardari’s arrival, said that China was extending “much-needed cooperation to Pakistan and the two countries are committed to peaceful use of nuclear technology”.

Xinhua quoted President

Zardari as saying that he was looking forward to a long-term economic cooperation with China.

“I have a long-term economic cooperation plan with China.” “Pakistan-China relationships is not restricted to a five-year plan,” he said in reply to a question about the programme for economic and trade cooperation signed between the two counties during President Hu Jintao’s visit in 2006. The two countries had agreed to increase their bilateral trade volume to $15 billion by 2011.

“I am the first businessman president of Pakistan. So we have a lot of cultural and friendly ties, but that is not properly depicted by our economic relationship,” Mr Zardari said.

About the changes occurring in China over the past 30 years, President Zardari said he was deeply impressed by the country’s achievements, especially its transition to a socialist market economy “with perfection.”

Mr Zardari said Pakistan and China would carry out close cooperation on anti-terrorism. “We need commonality to fight terrorism.”

Our Islamabad Correspondent adds: Before leaving for Beijing, President Zardari said he was keen to enhance economic cooperation with China.

“I’m looking forward to visiting China. I haven’t been to China for the past 24 years. China has changed since my last visit. I am hoping to remind the world how close we are,” Zardari said.

The President said he would like to visit China “every three months”, to know more about its economy and seek potential cooperation in all areas. “China is the future of the world.”

“A strong China means a strong Pakistan,” the president said, pledging further cooperation with China in energy, finance and agriculture sectors.