A new air cargo route has been inaugurated between Pakistan and China, aimed at bolstering trade relations between the two longstanding allies. This initiative comes ahead of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's scheduled visit to Beijing next week. 

According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, the new air cargo route inaugurated on May 28 connects Guizhou, China with Karachi, Pakistan. 

The route was launched with the departure of an all-cargo plane from Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou, China. The plane carried six tonnes of freight, including clothing, electronics, and various commodities. After a flight of nearly six hours, the plane arrived in Karachi. It was scheduled to return to Guiyang with a cargo of blue crabs from Pakistan, according to Guiyang Customs. 

The flights on the route are planned to operate three times a week, transporting goods such as hardware accessories, clothing fabrics, and electronic accessories. This air route holds significance as it establishes the first direct connection between Guizhou and Pakistan, and also marks the first air freight route linking the province with a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) country. 

Officials believe that this new route will help position Guiyang as a key cargo distribution center in southwest China and reduce the time for Pakistan's high-quality fresh products to reach Guizhou. The inauguration of the Guiyang-Karachi air cargo route is expected to facilitate increased trade between the two regions, as reported by the APP. 

In January, China and Pakistan launched an air cargo route that connects Ezhou Huahu Airport in central China's Hubei province with Lahore, a major city in eastern Pakistan. 

The air cargo link was established ahead of the five-day official visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif starting from June 4. During his visit, Sharif will meet with top Chinese businessmen to attract more investments in the second phase of the Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. 

Sharif is expected to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and other leaders to strategise and strengthen bilateral ties further. The all-weather allies aim to enhance cooperation under the multi-billion dollar CPEC initiative and are likely to discuss various aspects of their partnership. 

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