ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Hangzhou in the first phase of his four-day official visit to China, aimed at strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation and expanding economic engagement between the two countries.

Upon arrival at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, the prime minister was welcomed by Deputy Governor of Zhejiang Xu Wenguang, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, the Government of Pakistan said in a post on X.

In a post on X, the prime minister expressed gratitude to leadership of Zhejiang province for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation upon arrival.

“We look forward to strengthening practical cooperation with Zhejiang Province across diverse fields, including the digital economy, e-commerce, information technology, telecommunications, agriculture, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and skills development,” PM Shehbaz said.

The premier reaffirmed commitment to further strengthening the “enduring bond of friendship” between the two nations.

The prime minister was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, the government of Pakistan said in a X post.

“The visit assumes special significance as Pakistan and China commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. It will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and advance the shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China Community with a Shared Future,” the Foreign Office said.

During his stay in Hangzhou, the premier is scheduled to meet the Party Secretary of Zhejiang province and will also chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on IT & Telecom, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and Agriculture.

The prime minister will also witness the exchange of agreements and memoranda of understanding between companies from both countries.

According to officials, PM Shehbaz is expected to hold meetings with the chief executives of leading Chinese companies and visit the headquarters of Alibaba Group, where he will participate in a ceremony for the signing of cooperation memorandums.

In the second phase of the visit, the prime minister will travel to Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

The two sides will review bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and strategic domains, with particular focus on the high-quality development of CPEC, trade, investment, industrial cooperation, agricultural modernisation, information technology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

“The visit is expected to further deepen political trust, strengthen strategic coordination, expand practical cooperation, and consolidate the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China,” the FO added.