Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Flies to China for High-Stakes Xi Jinping Talks Amid Regional Tensions

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Hangzhou on Saturday, beginning a four-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26. The trip, confirmed by the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office, is focused on deepening economic ties, advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and holding high-level political meetings in Beijing.

Sharif travels with a senior delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.

The Hangzhou leg of the visit includes a meeting with Zhejiang Province Party Secretary Wang Hao, participation in a business forum on CPEC Phase 2 cooperation, and signing ceremonies for agreements and memorandums of understanding. Sharif is also scheduled to meet CEOs of major Chinese companies and visit Alibaba’s headquarters for investment talks. From Hangzhou, Sharif travels to Beijing for meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The Beijing programme also includes events marking 75 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, engagements with leading Chinese firms, and a visit to the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office, in a pre-visit statement, said the trip will “reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” and push forward cooperation across CPEC, trade, investment, agriculture, IT, science, and people-to-people exchanges. The statement added that the visit is expected to “further deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China.”

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Regional tensions will also feature on the agenda. FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told Dawn that the US-Iran conflict is likely to come up during discussions. “Pakistan and China have maintained close coordination on the standoff in the Middle East and our peace efforts in this regard,” Andrabi said, referring to Deputy PM Dar’s earlier visit to China. He added that both sides had agreed on a five-point principle issued as a joint statement, and confirmed the issue would be raised during Sharif’s meetings.