Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is in China on a two-day visit where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the meeting between the two leaders, mutual cooperation between China and Pakistan, especially in economic fields, was discussed, while it was agreed to increase multilateral cooperation including CPEC and further strengthen the strategic partnership. The announcement of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has also been released, according to which China has announced an additional aid package of 500 million yuan for flood victims in Pakistan. And the Chinese president has said that he will continue to support Pakistan for sustainable economic development. Shahbaz Sharif and Xi Jinping also discussed the situation in Kashmir and Afghanistan, and agreed that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will promote regional security and economic development. The two leaders agreed that the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan will strengthen regional connectivity. The Chinese President accepted the Prime Minister’s invitation to visit Pakistan soon. This is the first visit of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to China after assuming the office of the Prime Minister, while Shahbaz Sharif is the first leader to visit China after the election of the Chinese President. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is visiting at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, and his visit is a link in the ongoing leadership-level contacts between the two countries.
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