https://arab.news/4zyra
- Wang Yi’s visit follows a brief but intense India-Pakistan military standoff in May
- Chinese FM was received by Pakistan’s deputy PM Ishaq Dar at the foreign office
ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived at Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday to begin formal talks under the sixth round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Wang landed in Islamabad on Wednesday for the two-day dialogue, days after holding talks in New Delhi with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval over their disputed Himalayan border. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit.
Wang’s Pakistan trip comes just months after a brief but intense military standoff between India and Pakistan in May, during which Islamabad deployed Chinese-made fighter jets and missiles. India later claimed Beijing had actively supported Pakistan’s response, though officials in Islamabad said their country’s “victory” in the conflict was base on its own capabilities.
“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the foreign office said in a statement. “Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar welcomed the distinguished guest at the main gate. The two will hold discussions on bilateral ties and matters of mutual interest.”
The statement said the two leaders will hold the sixth round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue.
The dialogue, institutionalized in 2017, provides a platform for high-level engagement on regional issues, economic cooperation and multilateral coordination.
Pakistan sees China as its top economic and diplomatic ally, with Beijing making extensive investment in power, infrastructure and telecoms under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s foreign office described Wang’s visit as part of regular high-level exchanges aimed at reaffirming support on core issues, enhancing economic ties and advancing regional peace and stability.