Preparations underway for PM Shehbaz’s key visit to China in August for SCO Summit

Preparations are in full swing for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming official visit to China in mid-August, where he will represent Pakistan at the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), diplomatic sources confirmed Tuesday.

According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consultations are ongoing with their Chinese counterparts to finalize the schedule for the high-level visit, which is taking place at the invitation of top Chinese leadership.

The summit is set to be held in the Chinese city of Tianjin, where Prime Minister Shehbaz will participate alongside regional leaders in key multilateral discussions. He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event, engaging with other heads of state on regional cooperation and global developments.

A high-level delegation will accompany the Prime Minister, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, underscoring the strategic importance of the visit.

Diplomatic sources also suggest that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the meeting, raising the possibility of a rare face-to-face interaction between the two nuclear neighbours under the multilateral SCO platform.

The visit is being viewed as a significant diplomatic engagement aimed at further strengthening Pakistan-China ties and reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to regional cooperation under the SCO framework.