Overview

• Premier Li Qiang told visiting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that China would advance the next phase of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, according to state media.
• Financial Express reported that Beijing has walked away from the ML‑1 railway upgrade, a long‑promised CPEC centrepiece, a claim not confirmed by Chinese statements.
• Following the reported pullback, Pakistan is seeking a $2 billion Asian Development Bank loan to modernise the Karachi–Rohri stretch of the line, the outlet reported.
• Sharif’s Beijing trip produced about $8.5 billion in memorandums of understanding spanning agriculture, electric vehicles, solar power, health and steel, with no new flagship financing reported.
• The ADB has pledged $410 million for infrastructure linked to the Reko Diq mine, highlighting a tilt toward multilateral funding as Pakistan manages security concerns and fiscal strain.