Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s back-to-back meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the SCO summit have set the stage for major regional developments.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking on Geo News, revealed that China has outlined five new corridors under CPEC Phase II, shifting focus to agriculture, industry, and mining. A Chinese tech giant is also preparing to train 100,000 more Pakistani youth in IT skills, while Beijing promises deeper industrial investments in Pakistan.
On the sidelines, India’s Narendra Modi made headlines of his own—caught up in taking selfies instead of contributing to the summit’s agenda, which Ahsan Iqbal suggested was a tactic to “blackmail the U.S.”
The minister added that both China and Russia praised Pakistan’s role as a frontline fighter against terrorism, with Beijing openly appreciating Islamabad’s counter-terror operations.
Highlighting Pakistan’s global standing, Iqbal noted that PM Shehbaz enjoys recognition “not just in Washington, but equally in Beijing.” In their meeting, Xi Jinping reaffirmed: “No relationship equals Pakistan-China friendship.”