Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to undertake a three-day visit to China, starting May 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday.
DPM Dar made the announcement while addressing the launch ceremony of the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Centre in Islamabad.
He said that the premier would undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26. Dar added that premier was also set to attend a B2B forum on May 24 during the visit.
Earlier this month, President Asif Ali Zardari completed a five-day visit to China, which was aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation across key economic sectors. He also oversaw the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership with ties that span various sectors, including trade, energy, defence, and infrastructure. The two countries are also set to mark the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on May 21.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan has remained engaged in facilitating engagement between the US and Iran in the past month, of which China has also been a part.
A day earlier, DPM Dar held a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, where the two leaders discussed PakistanтАЩs efforts to тАЬfacilitate engagement between Iran and the USтАЭ.
PM Shehbaz last visited China in September 2025, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The development comes as the US President Donald Trump is also scheduled to visit China from May 13 to May 15.
тАШPak-China digital corridorтАЩ
Speaking at the launch ceremony, DPM Ishaq Dar underscored that Pakistan and China were taking тАЬanother significant step towards innovation, digital connectivity and the economy of the future as our partnership enters a new phase in the digital ageтАЭ.
He remarked that Pak-China friendship was тАЬnot ordinary diplomacyтАЭ.
тАЬIt is a relationship tested by time and strengthened by trust [тАж] from the Karakoram Highway, carved through some of the most difficult terrain in the world, to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which transformed PakistanтАЩs energy and connectivity landscape,тАЭ he continued.
He noted that with the launch of the centre, Pakistan and China were moving towards тАЬdigital transformation, agriculture, disaster management, climate resilience, healthcare, and smart citiesтАЭ.
тАЬThe emerging Pak-China digital corridor will not only deepen bilateral ties but also create opportunities for the wider global south,тАЭ he remarked.
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