On the morning of July 5 (Beijing Time), a prominent delegation of seven parliamentarians led by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Pakistan Senate Defence Committee and Founder Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) arrived in Beijing to begin their nine-day visit to China. They are the first parliamentary delegation from Pakistan to visit the country after the COVID-19 pandemic.

During stay in China, the delegation will partake in a series of high-level meetings with senior officials of China’s Foreign Ministry, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee (CPCCC), and the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy (CIIDS), a leading think tank in China. Discussions will be held between the delegation and deputies to the National People’s Congress, members of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and media for first-hand understanding of China's whole-process people's democracy and Chinese path to modernization.

These discussions either hosted or coordinated by CIIDS will delve into vital matters of mutual interest, charting a course for deeper collaboration in several areas. Moreover, the delegation will also visit Jingshan Sub-district of Dongcheng District, Chunshu Sub-district of Xicheng District, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), National Museum of China, and will meet business leaders and media personnel.

According to Senator Mushahid Hussain, the Delegation, “representing 6 political parties from all four provinces, is visiting China with a three-pronged purpose: a) to reaffirm Pakistan Parliament’s commitment to promoting Pakistan-China friendship as the pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy; b) to learn from the Chinese experience of development and modernisation with a view to imbibing lessons that can take CPEC forward in the new phase; c) to exchange views with Chinese friends and counterparts on the rapidly changing situation in our neighbourhood so that Pakistan and China can tackle common challenges collectively”.

The parliamentarians include Mahesh Kumar Mallani, MNA and Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination; Mohsin Dawar, MNA, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs; Muhammad Abubakar, MNA, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs; Ghous Bux Khan Maher, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan; Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema, Member of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science and Technology, National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination; and Senator Sana Jamali, Member of the Senate Standing Committee on Power, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, Science and Technology, and Water Resources.