ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Tianjin, China, on Saturday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War, and other official engagements in Beijing.
The Pakistani delegation accompanying the prime minister included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, along with senior government officials. The prime minister was received at Tianjin airport by Sun Meijun, Minister and Secretary of the CPC Committee of the General Administration of Customs of China, and Yu Yunlin, Chairman and Party Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal People’s Congress. China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zedong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi were also present to welcome him.
Prime Minister Shehbaz will address the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit, which will take place from August 31 to September 1. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. In addition, the prime minister will meet with heads of prominent Chinese business enterprises. He will chair the second Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference, which will be held in Beijing on September 4, to explore new opportunities for expanding trade and investment between the two countries. He will also meet with leaders of other countries participating in the SCO Summit.
Before departing for China, the prime minister shared a message on X (formerly Twitter), calling his visit to China “historic.” “Will participate in the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin and attend the 80th anniversary of the victory over Fascism in WWII in Beijing,” he wrote. “I look forward to meeting H.E. President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to further strengthen our bilateral ties with China—our All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner—as well as with other key countries in the region. We aim to enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reaffirmed the importance of Pakistan’s relationship with China, calling it an “all-weather strategic partnership anchored in trust and strategic alignment.” “We value President Xi’s leadership and initiatives such as the Belt and Road, and the Global Development, Security and Civilisation Initiatives, which continue to transform economies and strengthen regional integration,” Dar said in a post on his X handle. Ahead of Pakistan’s participation in the SCO Heads of State meetings, DPM Dar shared the country’s perspective during an appearance on CGTN’s Global South Voices. He highlighted the strength of Pakistan-China ties and the increasing importance of the SCO in promoting regional cooperation. He added that the SCO has become a pivotal Eurasian platform, fostering cooperation in security, trade, energy, connectivity and culture, all based on mutual trust and shared development.
“In today’s multipolar world, the SCO’s role in promoting multilateralism, regional stability and inclusive growth is more vital than ever,” he noted. Dar concluded by wishing China success in hosting the summit. “We hope for collective commitments to emerge in favour of regional peace, prosperity, and cooperation,” he said. “We also look forward to constructive high-level engagements with the Chinese leadership and with the heads of other SCO member states.”