Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Shenzhen, China, on Tuesday for a five-day official visit aimed at bolstering economic and strategic ties between the two nations. During his visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold meetings with corporate executives from leading Chinese companies in the oil and gas, energy, ICT, and emerging technologies sectors.
Upon arrival, the Prime Minister and his delegation received a warm welcome from Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Luo Huanghao, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Beijing Khalil Hashmi, and senior diplomatic officials.
Accompanying the Prime Minister are several key ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Petroleum Minister Dr. Musaddik Malik, and Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, Prime Minister Sharif will meet with President Xi Jinping and hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li Qiang. Additionally, he will engage in discussions with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and heads of key government departments.
The visit’s discussions will focus on strengthening the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), advancing trade and investment, enhancing cooperation in security and defense, energy, space, science and technology, and education, and promoting cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts.
Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Business Recorder that the Prime Minister’s visit also aims to secure delays in pending contractual obligations to Chinese companies, reschedule rollovers, and budget support loans until the end of the current Extended Fund Facility program. Furthermore, the launch of Phase II of CPEC is a significant goal of this visit. They noted that delays in pending contractual dues to Chinese companies are linked to the launch of Phase II of CPEC, with Chinese officials previously stating they will not renegotiate contract terms to avoid setting a precedent for other projects.
Prime Minister Sharif’s visit underscores a crucial step towards deepening Pakistan-China economic and strategic relations, with an emphasis on expanding cooperation across various sectors and addressing financial obligations to Chinese companies.
