Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist, Diplomat, Editor, Analyst, Consultant, Advisor, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG. (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).

At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will pay an official visit to China from June 4 to 8, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Friday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China with an aim to bolster all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the neighboring countries. The visit will have three segments. Besides Beijing, the Prime Minister will visit the cities of Xi’an and Shenzhen. Xi’an is ancient city of China and home town of President Xi. It is also the beginning point of ancient silk route and BRI. Shen Zhen is a one of the rapidly developed city in the world, just during last four decades, it has transformed from a poor fishermen village to hub of Science, Technology, R&D, Innovation and commercialization. It is termed as Silicon Valley of China. 

In Beijing, the prime minister will meet President Xi Jinping and hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li Qiang. He will also hold meetings with Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Mr. Zhao Leji and heads of key government departments.

An important aspect of the PM’s visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies dealing in oil and gas, energy, ICT, and emerging technologies. In Shenzhen, he will address the China- Pakistan Business Forum with leading businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and investors from both countries. He will also visit Economic and Agricultural Zones in China. His meetings with corporate sector leaders is aimed to boost China-Pakistan economic ties and attract Chinese investment in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a meeting to review the preparations for his upcoming visit to China, wherein he directed the formulation of comprehensive plans to hold result-oriented business-to-business meetings between the two countries. He instructed the relevant authorities to devise strategies for attracting Chinese industries to set up their units in Pakistan, assuring his government’s all-out facilitation to the industrialists and investors.

During the briefing to the prime minister on the preparations for his China visit, it was told that a delegation of industrialists, investors, and businessmen would accompany him to China’s Shenzhen city. The delegation would hold meetings with the Chinese business community to promote business-to-business linkages between the two countries. The prime minister directed Pakistan’s Ambassador to China to extend all-out facilitation to the Pakistani business delegation during its visit there. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers including Jam Kamal Khan, Ahad Khan Cheema, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Attaullah Tarar, Dr Musaddik Malik, and Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister of State Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan and senior government officers. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Pakistan’s Ambassador in Beijing joined the meeting via video link. 

PM Shehbaz’s visit is a manifestation of the iron-clad Pakistan-China friendship characterized by frequent high-level exchanges and dialogue. All most all leaders of Pakistan has visited China and most of the leaders in China has visited Pakistan in the past. High level mutual visits are part of routine, and provides opportunity of close liaison and exchange ideas and discuss the emerging matters in the region as well as globally. . 

The two sides will undertake discussions to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership; upgrade China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; advance trade and investment; enhance cooperation in security and defense, energy, space, science & technology, and education; and promote cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts, thus setting the future trajectory of Pakistan-China friendship.

As the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has entered into second phase, more cooperation, high quality collaboration and scope of CPEC may become under discussion. It is desired that more projects may be added to CPEC and speed up the ongoing projects. CPEC is a flagship project under Chinese mega initiative of BRI, and both nations are committed to transform it a role model for the rest of world to be followed.

Regional and global issues may become under discussion too. Pakistan supports Chinese stance on Taiwan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Chinese stance on Taiwan, reiterating its commitment to the “One China” policy. “As an iron-brother and a strategic partner of China, Pakistan has always extended its principled support to the Chinese position on Taiwan and will continue to do so,” the prime minister wrote on his official X timeline. He said the so-called elections or transition of the self-proclaimed government in Taiwan did not change the objective facts on the Taiwan issue. “Pakistan adheres to ‘One China’ policy, regards Taiwan as an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China and supports the Chinese government’s efforts for national reunification”, the prime minister added.

People of Pakistan belongs high expectations from Prime Minister’s China visit and believes that the visit will not only strengthen to traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, but, will open many new avenues of collaboration and opportunities for youth of Pakistan. 

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)