Hangzhou, May 23, 2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Wang Hao in Hangzhou on Friday, where both sides discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in key economic, technological and development sectors.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Wang Hao welcomed the prime minister to Zhejiang Province during the meeting.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the remarkable development achievements of Zhejiang Province and commended the visionary leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping during his tenure as Party Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.
He particularly appreciated Xi Jinping’s development philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” saying Zhejiang’s progress offered an important example of how ecological conservation, green development, and high-quality economic growth could advance together.
The prime minister said Pakistan attached high importance to strengthening cooperation with Zhejiang Province, especially in the fields of digital economy, e-commerce, information technology, telecommunications, agriculture, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and skills development.
He noted that provincial-level cooperation remained an important pillar of Pakistan-China relations and could significantly contribute to advancing Phase II of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through industrial collaboration, agricultural modernization, technology partnerships, and export-oriented growth.
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of two important cooperation documents.
The first was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing a sister-province relationship between Zhejiang Province and Punjab. The agreement aims to promote cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
The prime minister also witnessed the signing of a Document of Understanding between Hangzhou Normal University and the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing for the establishment of the China-Pakistan Joint Technology Research Centre at the university.
According to officials, the centre will promote academic cooperation, applied research, technology exchange, and institutional linkages between Pakistan and China.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that as Pakistan and China commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, both countries were entering a new phase of practical, people-centric, and development-oriented cooperation.
