Beijing, May 24: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reached Beijing on Sunday for high-level meetings with China’s top leadership, as Pakistan looks to deepen cooperation on CPEC Phase II, investment, agriculture, industry and technology.
The prime minister arrived in Beijing after beginning his four-day official visit to China in Hangzhou. He is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang during the Beijing leg of the visit.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the visit is taking place from May 23 to May 26, 2026, at the invitation of the Chinese government. The agenda includes trade and investment, CPEC Phase II, industrial cooperation, agriculture, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
China has also framed the visit as an important high-level exchange as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said President Xi and Premier Li would meet and hold talks with Shehbaz to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest.
Before reaching Beijing, Shehbaz addressed a Pakistan-China business conference in Hangzhou, where he invited Chinese companies to relocate industries to Pakistan under what he called a “win-win” partnership model. He highlighted agriculture, IT, special economic zones, battery storage and minerals as areas where Pakistan wants Chinese investment and technical support.
The Beijing meetings are expected to focus not just on diplomatic warmth, but on practical economic follow-through. Pakistan wants CPEC’s next phase to move beyond roads and power projects toward factories, exports, technology transfer and business-to-business cooperation.
For Islamabad, the visit is also about reassurance. Pakistan wants to convince Chinese investors that it can offer security, policy continuity and easier procedures. For Beijing, the focus will likely be on whether Pakistan can turn promises into bankable projects.
