DPM Ishaq Dar leaves for China on one-day visit

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has left for Beijing, China, for a one-day visit, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting will review bilateral ties and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.

This marks the deputy prime minister’s second visit to Beijing this year and it takes place amid Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between warring parties in the Middle East.

The visit follows an invitation by China’s Foreign Minister Yi and is a strategic move in terms of coordination over rising instability in the region, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi stated on Monday.

The FO said Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, marked by close coordination and regular consultations on regional and international issues.

It added that the upcoming visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth discussions on regional developments, as well as bilateral and global issues of mutual interest.

The development comes as Pakistan has already concluded hosting a quadrilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye, represented by their foreign ministers, in a bid to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Middle East tensions.

The Foreign Office noted that Dar’s decision to proceed with the China visit, despite medical advice to rest following a hairline shoulder fracture sustained a day earlier, underscores the importance Pakistan attaches to its relationship with China.