Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to visit China from May 23-26

Key points

• Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Beijing from Saturday (May 23, 2026) to Tuesday (May 26, 2026) for talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, without specifying whether the war in Iran would be discussed.
• Pakistan and China have both sought to mediate in the West Asia conflict, sparked by U.S. and Israeli strikes.
• A ceasefire agreement since April 8 has halted hostilities, but U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) that the window for diplomacy was closing.
• “The leaders of China and Pakistan will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern,” Chinese Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference on Thursday (May 21, 2026).
• Guo added that China would work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the West Asia”.