Pakistani premier departs for 4-day visit to China

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on Saturday on a four-day visit to China to "strengthen strategic coordination" as Islamabad continues to facilitate indirect talks between the US and Iran to end the war, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's office.

Sharif is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other Cabinet members and officials.

Sharif will begin his visit from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where he will chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on IT & Telecom, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Agriculture.

Later, he will depart for Beijing, where he will hold meetings with Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Xi hosting Sharif assumes significance as Beijing has received top foreign leaders this month, as talks to end the US-Iran war continue.

The American and Russian presidents met Xi in the past two weeks as Islamabad continues mediation between Washington and Tehran.

Pakistan secured a ceasefire April 8, halting the fighting that began Feb. 28 when Israel and the US initiated military strikes on Tehran, killing more than 3,300 and displacing thousands inside Iran.

During the visit, Sharif will also participate in events related to celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"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 Foreign Ministry said in an earlier statement.