Key points
- China remains Pakistan’s key investment partner
- CPEC central to long-term economic ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is set to co-chair the seventh round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on Sunday, during which the two sides will assess bilateral cooperation and explore new areas for partnership, state media reported.
The Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue is the highest consultative forum between Pakistan and China, offering a structured platform to review the full range of bilateral ties, as well as regional and international developments of shared interest, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement earlier this week.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, will co-chair the high-level dialogue with his Chinese FM Wang Yi.
“The dialogue will review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership and further advance the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday.
International issues
Pakistan and China have longstanding strategic, political, economic, defence, and cultural relations. Both Islamabad and Beijing maintain close coordination on regional and international issues, frequently supporting each other’s core interests at multilateral forums.
Islamabad also views Beijing as a key investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
During Dar’s visit, the two foreign ministers will also announce a series of initiatives and commemorative activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China in 2026, the foreign office said in its earlier statement.
China is also a key trading partner for Pakistan. According to China’s General Administration of Customs, its bilateral trade with Pakistan reached $23.06 billion in 2024, up by 11.1 percent on a year-on-year basis.
