PM Shehbaz lands in China on 4-day visit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Hangzhou on Saturday, kicking off a four-day official visit to China, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The visit marks the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations and is expected to include meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Shehbaz was received at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport by Zhejiang Vice Governor Xu Wenguang, with China's Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and Islamabad's envoy to China Khalil Hashmi also present to welcome him, the PMO said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, and PM's adviser Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier on the trip.
Business and investment in Hangzhou
During his stay in Hangzhou, Shehbaz chaired the opening ceremony of the third Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference, focused on charging infrastructure, battery energy storage and solar technologies, and pharmaceuticals.
He also engaged with provincial leadership and leading Chinese enterprises, including Alibaba Group, where he visited the company's headquarters. The PMO said the premier will also meet Zhejiang Party Secretary Wang Hao during the visit.
The business forum was organised to promote cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies under CPEC 2.0, the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Meetings in Beijing
After concluding his engagements in Hangzhou, Shehbaz reached Beijing on Sunday, where he was received by Chinese Minister of Environment and Ecology Huang Runqiu.
During his stay in the capital, the prime minister is scheduled to hold high-level engagements with Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. These talks will focus on strengthening the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and advancing CPEC 2.0, particularly in agriculture, IT, industry, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges, the PMO said.
Anniversary and strategic significance
A statement from the Foreign Office (FO) said the visit provides an opportunity "to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and advance the shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China community of shared future."
Officials say the two sides will review cooperation in political, economic and security domains, including under CPEC Phase-II, and discuss measures to enhance collaboration in sectors such as agriculture, science and technology, and counter-terrorism.
The visit comes as Pakistan seeks to deepen ties with its longstanding ally amid a broader push for economic recovery and investment, with energy, infrastructure, and trade expected to feature prominently in the discussions.