ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday, as Islamabad and Beijing seek to further strengthen economic and strategic cooperation.
Deputy PM Dar announced the visit while addressing the launch ceremony of the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Centre in Islamabad.
He said Prime Minister Sharif would also attend a business-to-business (B2B) forum on May 24 aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
Remarks For DPM/FM
Launch IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters
(13 May 2026) pic.twitter.com/mRhsZCQYE3— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 13, 2026
The visit comes as Pakistan and China prepare to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations on May 21.
Pakistan and China share longstanding ties spanning trade, infrastructure, defence, energy and technology cooperation.
Beijing is also Pakistan’s largest foreign investor through the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Prime Minister Sharif last visited China in September 2025 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Diplomacy and regional engagement
Prime Minister Sharif’s upcoming visit comes at a time when Pakistan has been actively engaged in facilitating diplomatic contacts between the United States and Iran to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Deputy PM Dar held a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which the two sides discussed Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate engagement between Iran and the United States, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
🔊PR No.1️⃣1️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Remarks For DPM/FM Launch IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters (13 May 2026)
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aFvhcGQrnR
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 13, 2026
“The two leaders exchanged in-depth views on recent regional developments and Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to facilitate engagement between Iran and the United States, aimed at promoting sustained peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the Foreign Office said.
Wang appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive mediation role” in efforts aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.
The two sides also stressed the importance of maintaining a durable ceasefire and ensuring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route.
The announcement of PM Sharif’s visit also comes when US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for an official visit to China from May 13 to 15.
Pakistan-China cooperation
Speaking at the launch of the Pakistan Digital Economy Centre, Deputy PM Dar said Pakistan and China were entering “another significant step towards innovation, digital connectivity and the economy of the future”.
Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 addressed as keynote speaker today at the launch of IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters.
He highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s @CMShehbaz vision of making Pakistan a regional digital… pic.twitter.com/sYoDQAcGNU
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 13, 2026
He described Pakistan-China relations as “not ordinary diplomacy” but “a relationship tested by time and strengthened by trust”.
“From the Karakoram Highway, carved through some of the most difficult terrain in the world, to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which transformed Pakistan’s energy and connectivity landscape,” Dar said.
He added that the two countries were now moving beyond traditional infrastructure cooperation towards digital transformation, including collaboration in agriculture, disaster management, climate resilience, healthcare and smart cities.
“The emerging Pak-China digital corridor will not only deepen bilateral ties but also create opportunities for the wider global south,” Dar said.
He added that Chinese companies had already played a significant role in improving fibre connectivity between Pakistan and China, helping create what he described as a “true digital corridor”.
“Pakistan and China are moving from roads to networks, from physical infrastructure to digital architecture,” Dar said.
