Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, where the two sides agreed to maintain close coordination, accelerate the implementation of ongoing projects and advance bilateral ties through practical and high-quality cooperation.
The meeting took place during the prime minister’s four-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26 and coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
According to an official statement, the two leaders reaffirmed support for each other on issues of core national interest and reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, expressing satisfaction over the steady growth of cooperation in political, economic, strategic, security and people-to-people sectors.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties should be utilised to transform the longstanding goodwill between Pakistan and China into practical, people-centric and future-oriented outcomes. He stressed the importance of regular high-level exchanges and close coordination to further strengthen the bilateral partnership.
Thanking Premier Li for the warm welcome, the prime minister said the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He said the “iron-clad friendship” between the two countries was built on mutual trust, strategic confidence and a shared commitment to peace, development and prosperity.
The two sides also discussed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), agreeing that the project had played a transformative role in Pakistan’s socio-economic development. They expressed the hope that the next phase of CPEC would further deepen bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the high-quality development of CPEC, particularly in the areas of industrialisation, connectivity, agriculture, science and technology, digital transformation, clean energy and socio-economic development.
He also highlighted the need to build synergies between China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Pakistan’s development initiative, Uraan Pakistan, to accelerate the country’s economic priorities and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.
The prime minister appreciated China’s continued support for Pakistan’s economic stability and development and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to ensuring the security of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects operating in the country.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz also underscored the importance of cooperation in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, space technology and advanced sciences. He said the selection of Pakistani astronauts for China’s space station programme reflected the growing depth of bilateral cooperation in strategic and modern fields.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatema Khawaja, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, Adviser to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi were also present during the meeting.
