Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday officially announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be undertaking a visit to China from May 23-26.

During his weekly press briefing, he said, “At the invitation of the People’s Republic of China, PM Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26.”

He said that the premier’s visit assumed special significance as the two countries were also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

“The visit will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic partnership and advance a shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China community of a shared future,” he said.

Andrabi said that during the visit, the premier would hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.

“The two sides will review bilateral relations, and cooperation in political, economic and strategic domains,” he said.

“The visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen political trust, strategic coordination, expand political cooperation and consolidate the long-standing friendship between the two countries,” he said.

The FO spokesperson stated that the premier will begin his visit from the Chinese city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, where he will chair the “Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference” on IT, telecommunication, energy storage, and agriculture.

“In Beijing, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations,” Andrabi said.

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