Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from May 23 to 26 at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, with meetings scheduled with both Li and President Xi Jinping.
The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of China-Pakistan relations, with Xi Jinping praising the countries as "good friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners" and calling their friendship "rock-solid and unbreakable".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26, during which he is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Sharif is travelling at the invitation of Li, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun announced during a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
Guo described the trip as an important high-level exchange between the two countries. He said China and Pakistan have maintained close communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, effectively safeguarded their shared interests, and contributed to regional peace, stability and development.
China hopes both sides will use the visit to strengthen their traditional friendship, deepen cooperation across sectors and advance the construction of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, Guo added.
The announcement comes as China and Pakistan mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. On Thursday, Xi exchanged congratulatory messages with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to commemorate the milestone.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi said in his message that "China and Pakistan are good friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners linked by mountains and rivers and sharing weal and woe." Reflecting on the relationship since diplomatic ties were established 75 years ago, he added that "the friendship between China and Pakistan has always remained rock-solid and unbreakable".
Xi further said the two countries have long maintained "high-level mutual political trust, practical cooperation, security cooperation and international collaboration", describing the relationship as a model for state-to-state relations.
The Chinese leader also stated that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Pakistan ties and is willing to work with Zardari to use the anniversary as an opportunity to enhance strategic communication, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen all-round cooperation and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community, Xinhua reported.
(with PTI inputs)
