High-powered Chinese delegation to visit Pakistan soon, says PM Shehbaz

• PM Shehbaz acknowledges concerns raised by Chinese side.
• He terms security issues remained top priority during his trip.
• PM lauds cabinet members for efforts resulting in fruitful visit.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Tuesday that a high-powered delegation from China would soon visit Pakistan after his "successful" trip to Beijing as the South Asian nation seeks economic support from its brotherly nation.

"A high-powered Chinese delegation will be visiting Pakistan soon," PM Shehbaz said while briefing the federal cabinet members on his recently concluded five-day trip to China.

Shedding light on his trip, the premier revealed that the Chinese side, on multiple occasions, raised their concerns. However, he reassured that the government prioritised the security issue at every step whether it be discussions at government-to-government or government-to-business or other high-level forums.

Terming the visit "successful", the prime minister lauded the cabinet members for their efforts and for the fruitful trip to the neighbouring country.

The PM, who landed in China on June 5 last week, held several delegation-level talks with Beijing and met Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping, during his trip.

The two sides, as per the joint statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), agreed to continue to work together in various domains including regional peace and stability and development.

During the trip, Pakistan reaffirmed its resolve to improve the security situation and take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens and projects in the country.

Condemning the deadly Dasu suicide attack, wherein five Chinese nationals lost their lives, both sides reiterated their commitment to fight against terrorism and work together with the international community to tackle the terror threat.

Furthermore, Islamabad and Beijing termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a key aspect of the latter's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and also agreed to explore ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations via sharing of experience in governance along with synergised development strategies.

Moreover, China also reaffirmed its support for Pakistan with regards to its sovereignty, national independence and territorial integrity.