PM Shehbaz Sharif embarks on Five-Day visit to China

PM Shehbaz Sharif Embarks on Five-Day Visit to China

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has begun his first official visit to China since taking office in March. The five-day trip aims to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties with Beijing and attract Chinese investors to Pakistan through business-to-business projects.

High-Level Meetings

PM Shehbaz will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for delegation-level talks in Beijing. He will also visit Xi’an and Shenzhen, where he will meet with Chairman Zhao Leji and heads of key government departments.

Agenda

The prime minister’s agenda includes discussing new agreements and partnerships in areas like agriculture, mines and minerals, IT, infrastructure development, skill training, industries, and Special Economic Zones. He will also discuss commercializing Gwadar port and expanding the silk route through sea and road.

CPEC and Economic Ties

PM Shehbaz aims to take the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to a new era, focusing on business-to-business links and government-to-government mega projects. He will meet corporate executives from leading Chinese companies and address the China-Pakistan Business Forum in Shenzhen.

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Security, Defence, and Education

Both sides will discuss enhancing cooperation in security and defence, energy, space, science and technology, and education sectors. Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.

CPEC Phase II and ML-1

Pakistan expects progress on the second phase of CPEC and the Mainline-1 (ML-1) project, with a estimated cost of $6.7 billion. The government may request China to accomplish ML-1 in more than two phases due to IMF programme limitations.

Strong Pakistan-China Friendship

PM Shehbaz praised the strong bonds between Pakistan and China, saying their friendship is everlasting and unmatched globally. He appreciated President Xi Jinping’s vision and leadership, which has made China a major economic and military power.