ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China will serve as an opportunity for both countries to make “greater progress” in their all-weather strategic, cooperative partnership, China’s foreign ministry said on Friday.

Pakistan’s foreign office announced on Friday that Sharif would be visiting China from June 4 till June 8 on an invitation extended to him by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for the South Asian nation’s struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time its foreign reserves are critically low.

Sharif’s visit will seek to upgrade cooperation under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a key part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.

“China and Pakistan have in recent years had close high-level exchanges, steadily advanced practical cooperation, conducted fruitful and high-quality cooperation on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and maintained sound communication and coordination in international and regional affairs,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing on Friday.

“China stands ready to work with Pakistan through this visit to make greater progress in our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and take new steps in the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.”

China has invested billions in various power projects and road networks in Pakistan under the $65 billion CPEC plan, but the implementation of various projects has slowed in recent months.

During his visit, Sharif will meet President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji.

“The leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on China-Pakistan relations and issues of mutual interest, and jointly draw up a blueprint for the growth of bilateral relations,” Mao said.

On Friday, Sharif asked Pakistani officials to carve out a “comprehensive plan” for business-to-business (B2B) engagements during his visit to China, which comes at a time when Pakistan is looking to boost foreign investment to support its fragile economy after averting a default last year, thanks to a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.

“An important aspect of the PM’s visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies dealing in oil and gas, energy, ICT [information and communication technology], and emerging technologies,” Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said.

The security of Chinese interests is another issue that is likely to top the agenda during Sharif’s visit as Chinese citizens and interests have been regularly attacked by militants in Pakistan.

Most recently, five Chinese engineers, who were working on a dam in northwest Pakistan, were killed in a suicide bombing in March.

Beijing has pressed Pakistan to guarantee the safety of Chinese organizations and personnel working there. The announcement of Sharif’s visit comes days after Pakistan announced it had arrested 11 militants involved in the bombing.

Islamabad has said the militants operate out of Afghanistan, but Kabul has rejected the charges.