ISLAMABAD, AUG 30 (DNA): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed for a historic visit to China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin.
The premier is set to attend the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Fascism in World War II in Beijing as well.
During the visit, he will meet President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity.
“I look forward to meeting HE President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to further build upon our bilateral ties with China, our All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner, as well as with other key countries of the region, enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity,” PM Shehbaz wrote in a post on X.
The prime minister will also meet Premier Li Qiang and participate in a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the Anti-Fascist War in Beijing alongside President Xi and other global leaders.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that prime minister is further scheduled to interact with leading Chinese businessmen and executives to enhance trade, investment, and economic ties, and address the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Adviser to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier.
The Foreign Office said the visit is part of high-level exchanges aimed at deepening the “All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” advancing the second phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and maintaining regular communication on key regional and global issues.
The three-day important 25th meeting of SCO Heads of States is planned for 31 August, September 1 and 2.
This year’s summit will be the largest since the SCO was founded in 2001, a Chinese foreign ministry official said last week, calling the bloc an “important force in building a new type of international relations”.
Among the attendees at the SCO summit, set to take place in the northern port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian PM Narendra Modi, alongside leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The theme of this year’s meeting will be, “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.” The annual event is likely to focus on key discussions on regional security, economic cooperation, trade and the SCO’s long-term strategic direction and way forward.
The security-focused bloc, which began as a group of six Eurasian nations, has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years. Its remit has also enlarged from security and counter-terrorism to economic and military cooperation.
In a separate X post, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan’s all-weather strategic partnership with China was anchored in trust and strategic alignment, valuing President Xi Jinping’s leadership and initiatives such as the Belt and Road, as well as the Global Development, Security and Civilisation Initiatives.
He noted that the SCO had become a pivotal Eurasian platform, advancing cooperation in security, trade, energy, connectivity and culture.
In today’s multipolar world, he added, the SCO’s role in strengthening multilateralism, stability and inclusive growth was more vital than ever. Dar said Pakistan looked forward to constructive high-level engagements with the Chinese leadership and other SCO member states during the summit.
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