ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be undertaking an official visit to China from May 23-26, during which he will hold meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
During his weekly press briefing on Friday, the spokesperson said, “At the invitation of the People’s Republic of China, PM Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26.”
Andrabi said that the prime minister’s visit carried special significance as the neighbouring countries were commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
He said, “The visit will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic partnership and advance a shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China community of a shared future.”
Andrabi further said that during the visit, Prime Minister Sharif would hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.
“The two sides will review bilateral relations, and cooperation in political, economic and strategic domains,” he said.
The spokesperson further said, “The visit is expected to strengthen and deepen political trust, strategic coordination, expand political cooperation and consolidate the long-standing friendship between the two countries.”
The Foreign Office spokesperson stated that the premier will begin his visit from the Chinese city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, where he will chair the “Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference” on IT, telecommunication, energy storage, and agriculture.
“In Beijing, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations,” Andrabi elaborated.
A statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office said that during the visit, the two sides will review bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and strategic domains, with particular focus on the high-quality development of CPEC, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernisation, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
It went on to say that the visit is expected to deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China.
Chinese Delegation in Pakistan
The spokesperson said that a Chinese delegation led by Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Cai Dafeng arrived in Islamabad on 20 May to participate in commemorative activities marking the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations.
He added that the delegation called on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday.
Peace Efforts
Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the Middle East continued during the last week, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held two telephone conversations with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar remained actively engaged with his counterparts in the different countries.
He further said that Pakistan's Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi undertook two important visits to Iran on 16 May and 20 May and held meetings with the Iranian leadership.
The spokesperson added that Pakistan expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates when there were attacks on May 17.
With respect to the UAE attacks, the spokesman said, Pakistan underscored that any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constitutes a grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, the United Nations Charter, and the fundamental principles of nuclear safety and security enshrined in the Statute and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances.
Bangladesh Delegation
The FO spokesperson said that the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also received a delegation of senior Bangladeshi civil servants under the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor initiative.
The delegation is visiting Pakistan for a three-week program at the Civil Services Academy in Lahore, marking an important milestone in bilateral exchanges after 53 years.
Russia-Pakistan Consultative Group on Strategic Stability
Tahir Andrabi further said that the 16th meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Consultative Group on Strategic Stability was held in Moscow on May 18.
"I had the privilege of co-chairng the meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov."
He informed that both sides held detailed discussions on international security, global stability, and issues related to arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation.
"The meeting reflected convergence of views on key matters and reaffirmed commitment to continued engagement and coordination at relevant international forums. It was also agreed that the next session of the Consultative Group will be held in Islamabad next year."
