On April 13, 2022, Premier Li Keqiang sent a congratulatory message to Shahbaz Sharif on his election as Pakistani Prime Minister.

Li Keqiang said in his message that, China and Pakistan are unique all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Bilateral relations and friendship have experienced great changes, and have always been rock-solid and unbreakable. In the face of profound and complex changes in international and regional situations and amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan have stood together with mutual assistance to tide over the hard times, and the ironclad friendship continues to grow. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Shahbaz to carry forward traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, pursue high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, deepen the all-round and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, and speed up the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. This will not only benefit the people of the two countries, but also be conducive to regional and global stability and development. I believe that Pakistan will accomplish new achievements in promoting national stability, development and progress.