Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Hangzhou on Saturday on the first leg of his four-day official visit to China.

Upon his arrival, the prime minister was received by the Vice Governor of Zhejiang province.

During his stay in Hangzhou, Prime Minister Shehbaz is scheduled to meet the Party Secretary of Zhejiang province.

He will also participate in a business forum focused on cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Several agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit.

The prime minister is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.

Later, the prime minister will proceed to Beijing. In Beijing, he will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

He will also attend an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

The prime minister will meet with the heads of other major Chinese companies and will visit the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, discussions are also expected to cover the situation in the Middle East.

The spokesperson added that China has expressed support for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing Middle East conflict.