Pakistan: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China to "strengthen strategic coordination" as Islamabad continues to facilitate indirect talks between the US and Iran to end the war, which began on February 28.
According to Anadolu Agency, Sharif will undertake an official visit beginning Saturday until Tuesday next week as the two neighbors mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The trip will provide an "opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength" of the Pakistan-China "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" and advance efforts toward a "closer" Pakistan-China "community with a shared future."
During the visit, Sharif is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as Premier Li Qiang on political, economic, and strategic cooperation. Xi hosting Sharif assumes significance as Beijing has received top foreign leaders this month, as talks to end the US-Iran war continue. The US and Russian presidents met with Xi over the past two weeks as Islamabad continues mediation between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan secured a ceasefire on April 8, halting fighting that began on February 28 when Israel and the US initiated military strikes on Tehran, killing over 3,300 and displacing thousands of others inside Iran. "China will work with Pakistan and the wider international community to make positive contributions to restoring peace and stability in the Middle East at an early date," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, referring to Sharif's trip.
In March, the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers announced a five-point initiative on the Middle East, which includes immediate cessation of hostilities, peace talks, protection of nonmilitary targets, security of shipping lanes, and respect for the UN Charter.
The discussions between the Chinese and Pakistani leaders are expected to focus heavily on the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), alongside trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernization, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Sharif will begin the visit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where he will chair the Pakistan-China business-to-business investment conference covering information technology and telecommunications, battery energy storage systems, and agriculture. In Beijing, the Pakistani premier will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Ahead of the visit, Sharif praised China's rapid industrial and technological progress, saying the world "cannot move forward without China" and describing Beijing's achievements as "second to none." The visit "is expected to further deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China," said Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.
China and Pakistan are closely linked through the CPEC, a flagship component of China's Belt and Road Initiative, connecting Xinjiang with Pakistan's Gwadar Port through roads, railways, and energy infrastructure projects. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $23.1 billion in 2024.