According to Qian Feng, director of the research division at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is anticipated to be a significant topic during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China.
The two sides have a wide and deep shared language and interests in important international and regional concerns since China-Pakistan ties are all-weather strategic cooperation, he told Global Times.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to Qian Feng, is anticipated to be a significant issue during Sharif’s visit to China.
He noted that as the CPEC has entered a high-quality second phase, the two sides will continue to solidify the all-weather strategic partnership, and then strive to promote a smoother development.
The two countries’ close development of their political, economic, diplomatic, and people-to-people relations in a variety of spheres is also a key opportunity, he continued.
On November 1, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to China at the request of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a news conference that Sharif is among the first group of foreign leaders to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded, demonstrating the special friendship and strategic mutual trust between China and Pakistan.
In addition, this will be Sharif’s first trip to China since assuming office in April, continuing the favorable trend of frequent high-level contact between the two nations, according to Wang.
President Xi Jinping of China will meet with Sharif during his visit. Along with meeting with Li Zhanshu, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, he will also speak with Premier Li Keqiang.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the leaders will hold in-depth discussions about bilateral relations as well as global and regional topics of interest. They will also jointly design and present a strategy for the advancement of China-Pakistan relations.
