PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf, who earlier on Wednesday cancelled a planned visit to China ostensibly because of a move by coalition partners to impeach him, later decided to go ahead with the visit. He is scheduled to leave for Beijing on Thursday.

“In view of our special relations with China, the president has decided to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics,” Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said.

Earlier in the day, the official news agency had quoted the FO spokesman as saying that President Musharraf had cancelled his visit to China and the authorities in Beijing had been informed about the decision.

During the visit, the president is expected to hold talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and National Peoples Council Chairman Wu Bungguo. He is also likely to meet leaders of Russia, Australia, France and Italy.—Our Reporter