A new round of the Strategic Dialogue between Pakistan and China is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on August 20-21. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend, as both countries seek to strengthen their partnership amid changing regional conditions.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has not made many comments yet, it is expected to confirm Wang Yi’s arrival during its weekly press briefing. Chinese media has already reported his visit, which comes before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s planned trip to Tianjin, China, on August 31 for the Shanghai Cooperation Summit.
This dialogue continues the series of Pak-China Strategic Dialogues, which began in March 2019 in Beijing. The initial meeting was held between Pakistan’s then-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
During the visit, Wang Yi is expected to meet Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Talks will focus on progress in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), economic cooperation, defense collaboration, regional stability, and other mutual interests.
This visit is happening at a critical time as South Asia faces increasing strategic tensions. Hostilities have risen after an unprovoked missile attack by India on Pakistan, during which China stood by Pakistan and praised the Pakistani Air Force for its response.
Before this trip, Wang Yi also met Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in Beijing. He acknowledged the role of Pakistan’s military as a key defender of Pakistan’s national interests and as a strong ally of China.
China and Pakistan continue to support each other on issues of core interests, maintaining their close and enduring partnership. This visit holds great importance as it reinforces the strong friendship and all-weather strategic cooperation between the two countries amid evolving global and regional challenges.
