Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to undertake a four-day visit to China following an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping, announced the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson on Friday.

During the weekly news briefing, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the premier will tour the cities of Xi’an and Chengdu before heading to Beijing for delegation-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

She maintained that the agenda included meetings with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC) Chairman Zhao Leji and heads of key government departments.

The FO spokesperson said the frequent visits between the two countries were evidence of their “iron-clad” friendship.

She added that discussions would focus on strengthening the “all-weather strategic partnership”, upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), enhancing bilateral trade, and expanding cooperation in various sectors including space, defence, energy, science and technology, and education.

Last week, the PM presided over a meeting to assess the arrangements for his forthcoming trip to China. During the session, he instructed the development of thorough plans to conduct productive business-to-business meetings between the two nations. He directed the relevant authorities to create strategies aimed at attracting Chinese industries to establish their operations in Pakistan, assuring them of the government’s complete support and facilitation.

The delegation is scheduled to engage in discussions with the Chinese business community to foster business-to-business connections between Pakistan and China. The PM urged Pakistan’s ambassador to China to provide comprehensive assistance to the Pakistani business delegation during their visit.