ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on an official visit to China from August 30 to September 4 to participate in the 25th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State, scheduled to be held in Tianjin.
According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to review bilateral relations and explore new avenues of cooperation. The agenda will include advancing the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), boosting trade and investment, and strengthening communication on regional and global developments.
During his stay, Shehbaz Sharif will also attend a military parade in Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of the World’s Anti-Fascist War, alongside President Xi and other international leaders. He is also scheduled to meet prominent Chinese entrepreneurs and address the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Beijing.
The SCO summit, to be held from August 31 to September 2, is expected to be the largest gathering since the organisation’s establishment in 2001. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are also set to participate.
This year’s theme, “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” will shape discussions on regional security, economic partnerships, trade, and the organisation’s long-term strategic vision.
The SCO, originally founded as a six-nation bloc focused on security and counterterrorism, has since grown to 10 permanent members, with 16 observer and dialogue partners, and has broadened its scope to include economic and military cooperation.
