Overview

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded a six-day China trip with 21 MoUs and joint ventures totaling roughly $8.5 billion across sectors such as agriculture, electric vehicles, solar energy, health, and steel.
• Premier Li Qiang publicly signaled willingness to advance the second phase of CPEC and deepen cooperation in trade and technology, according to state media accounts.
• Despite the agreements, multiple reports say Pakistan secured no new headline Chinese investments for CPEC Phase 2, as Chinese investors raised security and bureaucratic concerns that Sharif pledged to address.
• Reporting also disputes whether CPEC 2.0 was formally launched, with claims Sharif announced it without a corresponding Chinese statement.
• The Financial Express reports China has stepped back from the ML-1 rail upgrade and that Pakistan is seeking Asian Development Bank financing, including a possible $2 billion loan for the Karachi–Rohri section, while Islamabad also signals plans to issue panda bonds.