Zardari arrived in China on Saturday and the Pakistani foreign ministry said he would be visiting Changsha in the central province of Hunan, then head to Sanya in the island province of Hainan on Tuesday, where he would stay until he heads home on Friday.

“During the visit, the president will hold meetings with provincial leadership to review the full spectrum of Pakistan-China ties, with particular focus on economic and trade cooperation as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” the ministry said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Monday: “Beijing will work with Islamabad to advance friendly cooperation across all levels and localities and to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.”

He added that relations between the two countries had maintained a strong momentum, but did not confirm whether Zardari would meet senior members of the Chinese leadership.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has already visited China twice this year, the second time in late March when the two countries unveiled a five-point peace plan aimed at ending the war.