Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Hangzhou, China on Saturday, marking the beginning of a four-day visit to strengthen Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. According to the PMO, the visit assumes special significance as Pakistan and China commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The Prime Minister is accompanied by key officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi. As reported by the PMO, the visit aims to deepen Pakistan-China relations and advance CPEC Phase 2 cooperation.
During the initial phase in Hangzhou, the Prime Minister will chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference and meet with the Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province. According to the PMO, the Prime Minister will also attend the ceremony for the exchange of agreements and memorandums of understanding. Additional activities include meetings with CEOs of prominent Chinese companies and a visit to the headquarters of Chinese company Alibaba, where he will participate in the signing ceremony of memoranda of understanding on cooperation. According to the Foreign Office, the two sides will review bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and strategic domains, with particular focus on high-quality development of CPEC, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernization, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges. As reported by Outlook Business, the agenda includes signing key MoUs to boost trade, investment and strategic cooperation.
The second phase of the visit will take the Prime Minister to Beijing, where he will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. According to the PMO statement, the Prime Minister will also attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. Additional Beijing activities include meetings with heads of prominent Chinese companies and a visit to the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). The Foreign Office confirmed that the visit will "reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership" and advance cooperation in CPEC, trade, investment, agriculture, IT, science, and people-to-people exchanges. As reported by Dawn, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi indicated that regional tensions, including the US-Iran conflict, are likely to be discussed during the visit.
During his weekly press briefing, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that the US-Iran war is expected to come up during discussions between PM Shehbaz and the Chinese leadership. "Pakistan and China have maintained close coordination on the standoff in the Middle East and our peace efforts in this regard," Andrabi said, recalling DPM Dar's visit to China last month. "We agreed on a five-point principle, which was issued as a joint statement. So, yes, this issue will be discussed during the prime minister's visit," he added. This development adds a significant diplomatic dimension to the visit, as both nations work to coordinate their responses to regional security challenges and maintain their strategic partnership amid evolving international tensions.
