Premier will also attend military parade with President Xi to commemorate 80th anniversary of World\u2019s Anti-Fascist War
\n ISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reached China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin.
\nThe premier is set to attend the 80th anniversary of China\u2019s victory over Fascism in World War II in Beijing as well.
\nDuring the visit, he will meet President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity.
\nEarlier, the PM wrote in a post on X: \u201cI look forward to meeting HE President Xi Jinping and other world leaders to further build upon our bilateral ties with China, our All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner, as well as with other key countries of the region, enhance regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and advance shared goals for peace and prosperity.\u201d
\nThe prime minister will also meet Premier Li Qiang and participate in a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the Anti-Fascist War in Beijing alongside President Xi and other global leaders.
\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that prime minister is further scheduled to interact with leading Chinese businessmen and executives to enhance trade, investment, and economic ties, and address the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Beijing.
\nDeputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Adviser to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier.
\nThe Foreign Office said the visit is part of high-level exchanges aimed at deepening the \u201cAll Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,\u201d advancing the second phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and maintaining regular communication on key regional and global issues.
\nThe three-day important 25th meeting of SCO Heads of States is planned for 31 August, September 1 and 2.
\nThis year\u2019s summit will be the largest since the SCO was founded in 2001, a Chinese foreign ministry official said last week, calling the bloc an \u201cimportant force in building a new type of international relations\u201d.
\nAmong the attendees at the SCO summit, set to take place in the northern port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian PM Narendra Modi, alongside leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
\nThe theme of this year\u2019s meeting will be, \u201cUpholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.\u201d The annual event is likely to focus on key discussions on regional security, economic cooperation, trade and the SCO\u2019s long-term strategic direction and way forward.
\nThe security-focused bloc, which began as a group of six Eurasian nations, has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years. Its remit has also enlarged from security and counter-terrorism to economic and military cooperation.
\nIn a separate X post, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan\u2019s all-weather strategic partnership with China was anchored in trust and strategic alignment, valuing President Xi Jinping\u2019s leadership and initiatives such as the Belt and Road, as well as the Global Development, Security and Civilisation Initiatives.
\nHe noted that the SCO had become a pivotal Eurasian platform, advancing cooperation in security, trade, energy, connectivity and culture.
\nIn today\u2019s multipolar world, he added, the SCO\u2019s role in strengthening multilateralism, stability and inclusive growth was more vital than ever. Dar said Pakistan looked forward to constructive high-level engagements with the Chinese leadership and other SCO member states during the summit.
\nMeanwhile, Indian PM Modi arrived in China today for his first visit in over seven years to attend the SCO summit and hold bilateral talks with President Xi.
\nTaking to his official X handle, PM Modi said: \u201cLanded in Tianjin, China. Looking forward to deliberations at the SCO Summit and meeting various world leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Premier will also attend military parade with President Xi to commemorate 80th anniversary of World\u2019s Anti-Fascist War ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reached China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State Meeting in Tianjin. The premier is set to attend the 80th anniversary of China\u2019s victory over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500059,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-500036","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n