HANGZHOU: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on Saturday as part of his four-day official visit to China aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, investment partnerships, and regional coordination.
The prime minister was received at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport by Zhejiang Vice Governor Xu Wenguang, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi.
A high-level Pakistani delegation is accompanying the premier, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to meet Zhejiang Communist Party Secretary Wang Hao during his stay in Hangzhou. He will also attend a business forum focused on expanding cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Several agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during the event.
The prime minister is also expected to hold meetings with chief executives of major Chinese firms and visit the headquarters of Alibaba Group as part of efforts to attract technology and investment partnerships.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that the premier will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang during the visit. The two sides are expected to co-chair a joint investment conference aimed at deepening economic collaboration.
The Foreign Office said the visit is focused on further strengthening Pakistan-China relations, while regional peace and the tense situation in the Middle East will also feature prominently in discussions. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi noted that both countries have remained engaged on efforts to promote stability in the region and the issue will be part of the high-level talks.
