BEIJING: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif yesterday landed in Beijing for an official eight-day visit, becoming the first female CM of Pakistan to visit the neighbouring country.  

Upon her arrival at the Beijing airport, the provincial chief executive was welcomed by representatives of the Chinese Communist Party, Pakistan Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmir and other senior officials.
CM Maryam was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior provincial ministers such as Pervaiz Rasheed, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Azma Bokhari, Bilal Akbar and Ashiq Kermani.  Following her arrival, she met a high-level delegation of the Communist Party of China.

Speaking on the occasion, Maryam expressed desire to take Punjab to economic and financial heights with Beijing's cooperation. "The Pak-China bilateral relations were moving towards extremes of heights," she added.

During her visit, the chief minister will also tour major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. She will meet Chinese ministers, high-ranking officials and experts, and will also attend various meetings, events and conferences in China.
Earlier, the Punjab CM in a post on X said that she was heading to the neighbouring country to further strengthen the enduring bond between Pakistan and China. 

"This visit focuses on advancing modern infrastructure, enhancing healthcare systems, improving education, fostering clean energy initiatives, promoting IT investments, and addressing smog mitigation," she wrote.  The visit came weeks after Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang visited Pakistan in November 2024, wherein he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, held in Islamabad, and met Pakistan's high-ups.