PM Shehbaz arrives in China to attend SCO summit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Summit and other high-level official engagements.

The prime minister is scheduled to participate in the 80th-anniversary celebrations of the victory in the Chinese People’s War as well.

PM Shehbaz was received at Tianjin airport by senior Chinese officials, including Minister and Secretary of the CPC Committee of China’s General Administration of Customs Sun Meijun and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress Yu Yunlin. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong were also present, the PM Office said.

The Pakistani delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Dr Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials.

PM Shehbaz meets Chinese FM Wang Yi, vows to deepen strategic ties

As per the Foreign Office (FO), the visit is part of leadership-level exchanges between Pakistan and China.

“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.”

During his visit, the premier will address the SCO Council of Heads Summit, which will be held from August 31 to September 1. He will also hold bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss matters of mutual interest. “Multifaceted dimensions of Pakistan-China bilateral cooperation would be discussed” in his meetings with the Chinese president and premier, the FO said.

In a key focus of the visit, PM Shehbaz will engage with heads of prominent Chinese business enterprises and will preside over the second Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing on September 4. This conference aims to explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries. The prime minister is also expected to hold meetings with other leaders attending the SCO Summit.

On August 21, during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, PM Shehbaz had expressed appreciation for Beijing’s steadfast support to Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national development.

He had also reiterated Pakistan’s support for China on its core issues.