ISLAMABAD, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday presided over a preparatory meeting for the upcoming prime minister's visit to China via video conference with the Ambassador of Pakistan in Beijing and senior officials of the Embassy, the foreign ministry said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to visit China on his first official visit on Nov. 2-5.

During his visit, the prime minister will meet the Chinese leadership and also visit Shanghai to participate in the first China International Import Expo as a guest of honor.

The visit of Prime Minister Khan to China will be instrumental in elevating the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights. The visit will further strengthen the close and warm ties between the two brotherly countries, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The two countries are close friends, good neighbors and development partners. The bilateral relationship has withstood the test of times. Regardless of domestic or international changes, this close friendship has served as a model of state-to-state relations for other countries," the statement quoted Qureshi as telling participants of the meeting.

Highlighting that the bilateral relationship has been further strengthened particularly in economic field by the launching of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the foreign minister underscored that CPEC has added another important socio-economic development dimension to the bilateral relationship.

The new government in Pakistan has pledged its complete support and commitment to the advancement of CPEC, said Qureshi.