Sharif's visit, the second within this year, has been scheduled for June 28 at the invitation of Chinese premier Zhu Rongji, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue.

The visit to Beijing comes in the wake of increased tension between India and Pakistan in the Kargil sector of Kashmir and mounting pressure on Islamabad to withdraw its army regulars and government-backed infiltrators from the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

The official Xinhua news agency did not give details of the visit but official sources said Sharif would be meeting top Chinese leaders, including Chinese President Jiang Zemin during his two-day stay.

Sharif's programme details were finalised during the recent visit to Beijing by Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz,shortly before he visited New Delhi for talks on the Kargil issue.

India's External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh visited China last week, a day after Aziz's visit to New Delhi to normalise Sino-Indian relations after bilateral ties were soured following Pokharan-II nuclear blasts.

Aziz, on his return from Beijing after talks with Chinese leaders, claimed China had ``assured'' him of support in case of an escalation of the Kargil conflict.

Sharif, who will be leading a high-level Pakistani delegation, is expected to sign at least two bilateral agreements with China.

The first agreement pertains to cooperation between the electronic media of the two countries and the other to set up a business promotion council to boost Sino-Pakistani bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the spokesperson said.

Sharif is expected to visit the year-long Kunming Inter-nation International Horticultural Exposition in Southwest China's Kunming city.

He is also scheduled to travel to Hongkong to woo foreigninvestors to cash-starved Pakistan.