Shehbaz Sharif, Li Qiang to hold talks in Beijing

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as the matters of regional and international importance.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on a six-day visit to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit and China’s Victory Day parade. During his stay, he will also meet Chinese Minister for Information Technology and Industry Li Lecheng. The second Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference is also being held, which the prime minister will chair. This session will review the outcomes of the first conference held in Shenzhen in June 2024 and set future plans for trade and investment.

The prime minister is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Atta Tarar. During the visit, Shehbaz Sharif also held an important meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation. The prime minister expressed gratitude to the Russian president for his invitation to visit Moscow and highlighted Pakistan’s strong desire to further enhance ties with Russia.

He appreciated Putin’s personal interest in building stronger relations and said Pakistan and Russia are moving in the right direction. The discussions focused on boosting trade, energy cooperation, and regional stability. Officials believe that the growing understanding between Islamabad and Moscow will open up new opportunities in economic and strategic sectors.