Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for China on Saturday for a four-day official visit focused on reinforcing strategic collaboration and expanding economic relations between Pakistan and China. The initial phase of his trip took him to Hangzhou, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi.
This visit holds special importance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. It presents an opportunity to reaffirm the enduring strength of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and to promote the vision of building a closer Pakistan-China Community with a Shared Future, the Foreign Office.
While in Hangzhou, the prime minister is set to meet the Party Secretary of Zhejiang province and will preside over the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference, focusing on sectors such as IT and Telecom, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and Agriculture. The visit will also include witnessing the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding between Pakistani and Chinese companies.
Officials noted that PM Shehbaz will engage with chief executives of prominent Chinese corporations and visit Alibaba Group’s headquarters, where he will attend a ceremony marking the signing of cooperation memorandums.
In the second leg of his trip, the prime minister will proceed to Beijing to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Discussions will cover the review of bilateral cooperation across political, economic, and strategic areas, with an emphasis on advancing the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade, investment, industrial collaboration, agricultural modernization, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
The Foreign Office highlighted that this visit aims to deepen political trust, enhance strategic coordination, broaden practical cooperation, and strengthen the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China.
