China and Pakistan Deepen Strategic Ties as Sharif Concludes Four-Day Beijing Visit
Pakistan and China reached a “new broad consensus” on further deepening their All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership on Tuesday, May 26, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded a four-day official visit to Beijing. The joint statement, issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, came after Sharif held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, and both countries agreed to promote “high-quality development” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 2.0 and welcome the participation of third parties in its development. The Express TribuneGeo News
The visit, which ran from May 23 to May 26, also included Sharif’s attendance at a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and a visit to Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. Daily Pakistan
What the Joint Statement Says
The joint statement said the two sides agreed to “move faster to build an even closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the new era,” and agreed to “further strengthen strategic dialogue and enhance exchanges at various levels to continue deepening political mutual trust.” The Express Tribune
Both countries committed to expanding cooperation across trade and the economy, energy, the digital economy, finance, scientific and technological innovation, artificial intelligence, information and communications technology, water conservation, and marine affairs. They also agreed to scale up personnel training, advance trade liberalisation, and jointly safeguard the stability and security of industrial and supply chains. ARY News
On agriculture, the statement said China agreed to assist Pakistan in promoting its agricultural production capacity through multiple means, encourage Chinese enterprises to conduct agricultural investment and cooperation in Pakistan, and facilitate the market access of more high-quality Pakistani agricultural products to China. Dawn
Prime Minister Sharif expanded on that commitment before departing Beijing. He announced that Pakistan, in collaboration with the Chinese government, will send 1,000 fresh agriculture graduates from all four provinces to Chinese universities for training in modern agricultural methods, and said that accelerating CPEC 2.0 was a top priority, with agriculture leading the agenda. Dawn
CPEC 2.0 and the Business Dimension
Sharif’s visit began in Hangzhou, where he addressed the Pakistan-China Business Conference and oversaw the signing of agreements between Pakistani and Chinese companies worth $1.22 billion. The conference brought together government officials and representatives of approximately 500 Pakistani and Chinese companies to explore investment and trade opportunities. Pakistan Today
Sharif told the conference that Pakistan aimed to increase its agricultural products trade with China by $10 billion over the next five to seven years. He also visited the Hangzhou headquarters of Alibaba Group, where he was received by Chairman Joe Tsai. Tsai remarked that the premier’s presentation on Pakistan’s digital transformation was “the most powerful case for digitalisation” he had heard, according to the prime minister’s spokesperson for international media, Mosharraf Zaidi. Pakistan TodayPakistan Today
The talks in Beijing also covered security, artificial intelligence, regional diplomacy, and counterterrorism, in addition to the accelerated launch of CPEC 2.0. Daily Pakistan
Regional and Security Dimensions
The two sides positively reviewed the informal trilateral talks among China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan held in Urumqi in April 2026, and agreed to remain in close communication regarding Afghanistan. Pakistan and China also reiterated support for maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. Geo NewsGeo News
The statement noted that Pakistan supports China’s vision of building a “Community with a Shared Future for Humanity” and backs the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. ARY News
China reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Pakistan as the next rotating president of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and welcomed Pakistan leveraging its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025 to 2026 to strengthen coordination in multilateral forums. The Express Tribune
Background
The two countries share what they describe as a friendship that has remained “rock solid” through 75 years of diplomatic relations, regardless of shifts in international and regional dynamics. Both sides characterise the relationship as an “important wealth and a strategic asset.” Both sides also welcomed earlier high-level exchanges in 2026, including the visit by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to the Chinese provinces of Hunan and Hainan in late April and early May, and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s January 2026 visit to China. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, first launched as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, links Pakistan’s Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea to China’s Xinjiang region through a network of roads, railways, and energy infrastructure. Both sides have agreed to deepen cooperation in space technology, clean energy, and digital transformation as part of the CPEC 2.0 framework. Daily Pakistan + 2
What Happens Next
Both sides agreed to further strengthen strategic dialogue and enhance exchanges at various levels, with the joint statement setting the broad direction for deepening ties across economic, security, and multilateral tracks. Pakistan has committed to immediately beginning the process of selecting 1,000 agricultural graduates for training in China, with implementation expected across all four provinces. Sharif also held a series of meetings with leading Chinese enterprises to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to deepening economic, industrial, and infrastructure cooperation under CPEC Phase II. No specific timeline for CPEC 2.0 milestones was publicly announced as of Tuesday, May 26. Dawn + 2
