Shehbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, is reportedly scheduled to embark on an official trip to China from June 4 to 7, as per sources cited by ARY News on Thursday.
During his four-day visit, the PM intends to engage in discussions with the Chinese president and prime minister regarding matters concerning the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other bilateral issues.
CPEC, a significant component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a USD 50 billion infrastructure project aimed at connecting Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi ports to China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region via land routes.
This visit will mark PM Shehbaz’s inaugural trip to Beijing since assuming office following the February 8 general elections.
Currently, the prime minister is on a day-long visit to the UAE, where he is expected to meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with other Emirati officials, business leaders, and financial institutions.
Additionally, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar recently visited Beijing for a four-day trip, where he co-chaired the Fifth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Pakistan and China have pledged to expedite the implementation of CPEC projects across various sectors, as agreed upon during a meeting between Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China Zhao Chenxin in Beijing.
They have also committed to enhancing cooperation in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, agriculture modernization, and infrastructure development, including the construction of the Eastbay Expressway to boost connectivity to the coastal city of Gwadar.