Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif likely to visit China next month

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to visit China next month and will discuss the matters related to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor phase II and other issues.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to undertake an official visit to China from June 4 to 7, reported ARY News citing sources on Thursday. During his four-day state visit, the PM will hold meetings with the Chinese president and prime minister and will discuss the matters related to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) phase II and other issues

CPEC is a USD 50 billion Pakistani component of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The 3,000 km Chinese infrastructure network project is under construction in Pakistan and aims to connect Pakistan's Gwadar and Karachi ports to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by land. This visit would mark PM Shehbaz's inaugural visit to Beijing since taking office following the February 8 general elections. Currently, the prime minister is in the UAE for a day-long visit.

During his visit, the prime minister is anticipated to meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. PM Sharif is also expected to convene with other Emirati officials, business figures, and leaders of financial institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar recently visited Beijing for a four-day trip. During his visit, he co-chaired the Fifth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. It's important to note that Pakistan and China have agreed to accelerate the implementation of projects under CPEC across various sectors.

This agreement was reached 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 on Friday. The two sides agreed to implement the Industrial Cooperation Framework Agreement and develop an Action Plan for the modernization of industry, mines and mineral sectors.

They also resolved to prioritize cooperation in Artificial Intelligence and agriculture modernization in the second phase of CPEC. They vowed to enhance the connectivity of the coastal city of Gwadar by constructing the Eastbay Expressway to fully harness the potential of its port and industrial zone. (ANI)

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