ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed for a four-day official visit to China, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
In a post on X, the PMO stated that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and the prime minister’s adviser Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier during the visit.
A day earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz would undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26.
The Foreign Office said the visit carries special importance as Pakistan and China mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It added that the trip would provide an opportunity to reaffirm the enduring strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and advance the shared vision of building a closer Pakistan-China community with a shared future.
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
According to the Foreign Office, both sides will review bilateral cooperation in political, economic, and strategic sectors, with particular focus on the high-quality development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, along with trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernization, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
The prime minister will begin his visit in Hangzhou, located in Zhejiang Province, where he will chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference. In Beijing, he will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.
The Foreign Office said the visit is expected to deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and further consolidate the longstanding friendship between the two countries.
Separately, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said during his weekly press briefing that the ongoing US-Iran conflict is also expected to come up during discussions between Prime Minister Shehbaz and the Chinese leadership.
Andrabi noted that Pakistan and China have maintained close coordination regarding the Middle East situation and ongoing peace efforts.
Referring to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to China last month, he said both countries had agreed on a five-point principle that was issued through a joint statement.
“So, yes, this issue will be discussed during the prime minister’s visit,” Andrabi added.