High-powered Chinese delegation to visit Pakistan soon: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that his recent five-day visit to China remained successful as a high-powered Chinese delegation would visit Pakistan soon.

The prime minister, chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet, told the members that the collective efforts by his team including the federal ministers and federal secretaries came to fruition and that the visit was a great opportunity to strengthen the Pakistan-China bilateral relations.

He said that despite the security issue highlighted during the engagements with the Chinese leadership and business community, the visit concluded with a “positive note.”

“I can say unequivocally that the visit ended with a positive note. During the conversation with the Chinese ambassador at the banquet hosted by the Communist Party Secretary during my visit to Shanxi province, I got a deep feeling that the visit reminded very successful,” Prime Minister Shehbaz remarked while apprising the cabinet members of his visit.

The prime minister thanked all of his cabinet members particularly Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Dr Musaddik Malik and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and relevant federal secretaries for their collective efforts which led to the success of the visit.

He expressed confidence that the collective efforts would lead to the swift and successful execution of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

PM Shehbaz on Saturday arrived in Pakistan after concluding his five-day official visit to People’s Republic of China.

The prime minister, accompanied by the Pakistani delegation, visited the historical site of China, Terracotta Warriors Museum.

The visit was part of an invitation extended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to the prime minister to visit the museum in his hometown, Xi’an.

The two countries reiterated that they would continue to view the relationship between the two countries from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, take effective measures to safeguard the common interests of Pakistan and China and promote socio-economic development and well-being of the two peoples, said a joint statement issued at the conclusion of the prime minister’s five-day visit to China.

Pakistan and China inked 23 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing collaboration across various sectors.

The MoUs signed included transportation infrastructure, industry, energy, agriculture, media, healthcare, water management, socioeconomic development, and other mutual areas of interest.

Additionally, they agreed to sustain high-level engagements, bolster institutional connections across all sectors, and continue consultations on bilateral and global issues, especially during Pakistan's upcoming non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council for the term 2025-2026.