Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit Islamabad on August 21 to co-chair the 6th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, the Foreign Office announced in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the visit is part of regular high-level exchanges aimed at further strengthening the “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” between Pakistan and China.
The dialogue will serve to reaffirm mutual support on each other’s core interests, boost economic and trade cooperation, and emphasize both countries’ commitment to regional peace, development, and stability.
According to The News, Wang Yi’s schedule includes meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The discussions will focus on the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), economic collaboration, regional security, and defense ties.
The Chinese foreign minister is also expected to meet with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.
This marks Wang Yi’s first visit to Pakistan since India’s cross-border aggression last May. The trip comes just weeks after his meeting with Field Marshal Munir in Beijing, a development seen as a reinforcement of the “ironclad” relationship between Islamabad and Beijing.
Trilateral Meeting and Regional Peace Efforts
Diplomatic sources have indicated that a highly-anticipated trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan is expected to take place in Kabul immediately after Wang Yi’s visit.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar is likely to accompany him for the talks with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, although officials have not ruled out the possibility of the Afghan foreign minister traveling to Islamabad instead. The discussions are anticipated to cover regional stability and Pakistan’s security concerns regarding Afghanistan.
Sources noted that some global capitals had tried to obstruct the trilateral dialogue, but after weeks of negotiations, the three sides agreed to proceed. The meeting is viewed as an important step in advancing trilateral cooperation.
Wang Yi’s trip carries significant regional weight as it follows his stop in New Delhi and precedes Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.
