Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, left for China on Saturday for a four-day official trip aimed at enhancing strategic cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The visit comes as Pakistan continues to support indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, along with senior cabinet members and government officials.
The Pakistani premier is scheduled to begin his engagements in Hangzhou, located in Zhejiang province, where he will preside over the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference focusing on Information Technology and Telecommunications, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and agriculture cooperation.
Following the Hangzhou engagements, Sharif will travel to Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Sharif’s meeting with Xi is viewed as significant as Beijing has hosted several prominent world leaders this month while diplomatic efforts to halt the US-Iran conflict continue. The Chinese president has also held talks with the American and Russian presidents over the past two weeks as Islamabad maintains its mediatory role between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan previously helped broker a ceasefire on April 8, ending weeks of hostilities that erupted on February 28 after Israel and the United States launched military operations against Tehran. The conflict reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 3,300 people and displaced thousands across Iran.
During the visit, Sharif is also expected to attend events commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China.
“The visit is expected to further deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China,” the Foreign Ministry said in an earlier statement.
