ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet the presidents of China and Russia in Beijing today, Tuesday, his office confirmed as Pakistan seeks increased regional economic partnership and security cooperation with both countries.
Sharif arrived in China on Saturday for a six-day official trip to the country to attend the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit in Tianjin. He interacted with the heads of state of various countries including Russia, China, Malaysia and Central Asian republics at the conference, before leaving for Beijing via a bullet train.
Pakistan sees China as its top economic and diplomatic ally, with Beijing making extensive investments in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major segment of the Belt and Road Initiative, that aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe.
“The prime minister will meet the president of China, Xi Jinping, today at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “The prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings today in Beijing with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.”
