Pakistan, China sign 15 accords to bolster multisector cooperation

PM Shehbaz informs his Chinese counterpart significant ground ws covered in US-Iran mediation: Says situation is moving in right direction: Lauds China for promoting peace, achieving US-Iran ceasefire: Premier Li says Pakistan has injected positive energy into regional peace: Field Marshal Asim Munir all attends meeting: PM Shehbaz given guard of honour at Great Hall of the People

Published: 11:58 AM, 25 May, 2026
Pakistan, China
Pakistan, China sign 15 accords to bolster multisector cooperation
Caption: Pakistani and Chinese prime ministers attend delegation-level talks in Beijing.

Pakistan and China on Monday signed 15 accords of cooperation in multiple areas, including economy, environment and climate change, agriculture and food security, trade, media, science and technology, counterterrorism, and education, to further strengthen bilateral ties.

The accords were signed during the four-day official visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who earlier met with his counterpart Premier Li Qiang, where both leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as the regional situation.

PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang witnessed the signing ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People as government functionaries from both sides exchanged the documents.

The two sides signed the MoU on economic development cooperation and the MoU on environment and climate change cooperation. They also signed the letter of handover for veterinary vaccines donation, along with the protocols on dried fruits, nuts and maize to be exported to China.

Both countries inked the MoUs on conformity assessment cooperation, news cooperation, and for cooperation between the Party School of the CPC Central Committee and Pakistan National School of Public Policy.

The ceremony also featured the signing of an MoU of co-production of documentaries and people-to-people exchanges in science and technology.

In the areas of trade and capacity building, the two sides signed the MoU on free trade and multilateralism, the letter on counterterrorism equipment cooperation, and the MoU on human resource development cooperation.

The two countries also signed the MoUs on cooperation in the agriculture sector, and for cooperation between China Foreign Affairs University and the Foreign Service Academy of Pakistan.

Significant progress made in US-Iran talks, China informed

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, appreciating the support of Chinese leadership in promoting peace and achieving the US-Iran ceasefire, on Monday informed his counterpart Li Qiang that a lot of ground had already been covered and the situation was moving in the right direction for the restoration of peace in the region.

In his opening remarks during the meeting with Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, during his four-day official visit to China, PM Shehbaz Sharif said “We hope and pray to Allah Almighty that peace will be restored. A lot of ground has already been covered. Things are moving in the right direction.” 

Shehbaz Sharif thanked President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership for their great support to Pakistan in promoting peace and achieving a ceasefire, assuring President Xi’s four-point agenda would be fully endorsed. He also mentioned the five-point support programme for the ceasefire, announced after Deputy Premier Ishaq Dar’s meeting with his counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

PM Shehbaz said that the world was passing through a very critical moment amid a crisis in the Gulf, and Pakistan had played a very sincere role to mediate between the United States and Iran.

Referred to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s visit to Iran, who was also present in the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that he had played a very important role, going back and forth with the Iranian leadership and American leadership, along with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and his counterparts, not only in Iran but also in the Gulf countries.

“I think we have to really be together so that the world at large is at peace and business as usual starts again, because this crisis has hit not only the economies in the region — including Pakistan, which is a net importer of oil and oil products — but the global community,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said.

Expressing his gratitude to Premier Li for the invitation, he said it was always a great pleasure to visit China, as each time new changes and major developments were witnessed. He also expressed deepest condolences on the tragic gas explosion at the coal mine in Shanxi, causing deaths and injuries, conveying full solidarity to the victims and their families.

The prime minister said that both countries were celebrating 75 years of “glorious” friendship and diplomatic relations established by their founding fathers, who laid a strong foundation and an edifice between the two countries. Both countries were trying to take that legacy forward on this great journey towards promoting our relations.

In his remarks, Premier Li said that Pakistan had maintained close communication and coordination, safeguarded common interests, and injected positive energy into regional peace. He said during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz later in the day, President Xi Jinping would provide strategic guidance for further deepening bilateral relations.

“China is ready to work with Pakistan to pursue greater solidarity, carry forward traditional friendship, firmly support each other, and keep expanding practical cooperation to deliver more results in building a community with a shared future for the two countries,” he added.

Pakistan, China to maintain close coordination

Pakistan and China have agreed to maintain close coordination, accelerate implementation of agreed projects and carry forward the bilateral partnership into a new phase of practical, results-oriented and high-quality cooperation.

The agreement was reached at a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing today.

The meeting was held in the backdrop of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

The two leaders reviewed the whole spectrum of Pakistan-China relations and expressed satisfaction at the steady growth of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, strategic, security and people-to-people domains.

They reiterated their support on all issues of core interests to both countries.

The two leaders also agreed that CPEC has played a transformative role in socio-economic development of Pakistan. They looked forward to implementation of the next phase of CPEC.

PM Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the 75th anniversary should be used to translate the historic goodwill between Pakistan and China into practical, people-centred and future-oriented outcomes.

He highlighted the importance of building synergies between China's 15th Five-Year Plan and Pakistan's development framework, Uraan Pakistan, to accelerate Pakistan's development priorities and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's firm resolve to ensure foolproof security of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects in Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif also highlighted the importance of enhanced cooperation in emerging sectors, including space, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.

The Prime Minister thanked Premier Li Qiang for the warm reception and reaffirmed that the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership remains the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy.

He said the iron-clad friendship between the two countries is rooted in mutual trust, strategic confidence and shared commitment to peace, development and prosperity.

Guard of honour

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accorded a warm reception and a guard of honour at the Great Hall of the People, where he arrived to meet his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang and hold delegation-level talks on Monday (today).

As PM Shehbaz Sharif arrived at the venue of the formal welcome reception along with Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chinese Premier Li Qiang welcomed them.

Both the prime ministers shook hands and introduced their respective delegations to each other.

The national anthems of Pakistan and China were played as both leaders stood at the salute dais.

The smartly turned out contingents of the Chinese armed forces presented a guard of honour, which the prime minister reviewed.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is on an official visit to China from 23 to 26 May 2026. On the first leg of his visit, he went to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, where chaired the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on IT & Telecom, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and Agriculture.

While in Beijing, he will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, besides attending a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

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