Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday he looked forward to meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping along with other world leaders as he departed for China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The SCO summit, to be held in the northern port city of China’s Tianjin on Sunday and Monday, will gather[1] more than 20 world leaders in a powerful show of Global South solidarity.
Aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia have also been invited to the summit.
Terming his visit “historic”, PM Shehbaz said on X: “I look forward to meeting H.E. President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to further build upon our bilateral ties with China, our All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner, as well as with other key countries of the region […]”
The premier expressed his aim to “enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity”.
According to a statement[2] by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa), the prime minister would hold meetings with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang, “during which multifaceted dimensions of Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation would be discussed”.
“He would also attend the military parade with President Xi and other world leaders being held in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the World’s Anti-Fascist War,” the Mofa added.
PM Shehbaz, as per the statement, would “interact with reputed Chinese businessmen and corporate executives to discuss bilateral trade, economic and investment ties”. He would also address a Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing.
The statement highlighted that the visit was a part of leadership-level exchanges between the two countries.
“It manifests the importance attached by the two countries to further deepen their All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, reaffirm support on issues of respective core interests, advance Phase-II of CPEC and maintain regular communication on important regional and global developments,” Mofa said.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on PM Shehbaz at the Prime Minister’s House and emphasised that China regarded Pakistan as an ironclad friend and all-weather strategic partner.
In July, the two countries decided[3] to form technical working groups to explore and implement projects focusing on high-yield cotton seed development, advanced water-saving irrigation technologies, and modern farming techniques.