Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed for Hangzhou, marking the first leg of his four-day official visit to China.

He 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.

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.

During his stay in Hangzhou, the prime minister is scheduled to meet the Party Secretary of Zhejiang province.

He will attend a business forum aimed at promoting cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies under CPEC Phase 2 and participate in a ceremony for the exchange of agreements and memoranda of understanding.

The prime minister will meet with the CEOs of prominent Chinese companies, Radio Pakistan reports.

He will also visit the headquarters of the Chinese company Alibaba and attend a signing ceremony for cooperation memoranda.

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).