China has reiterated its unwavering commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Pakistan, pledging to work closely with Islamabad for the promotion of regional peace, development, and stability. The reaffirmation came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan, where he held high-level meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and other senior leaders.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Wang Yi met PM Shehbaz at the Prime Minister’s House, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and senior cabinet members.
“China regards Pakistan as an ironclad friend and an all-weather strategic partner,” Wang Yi said, adding that Beijing is eager to elevate bilateral ties to new heights of cooperation. He commended Pakistan’s firm stance on protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity, affirming that China would continue to stand alongside Pakistan in advancing regional peace and development.
Welcoming the Chinese foreign minister, PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed his “deep appreciation for the leadership, government, and people of China for their steadfast support to Pakistan.” He reaffirmed Pakistan’s backing for China on its core issues and reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to deepening the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership envisioned by the leadership of both nations.
The prime minister praised President Xi Jinping’s “visionary leadership” and recalled his “cordial and productive” meeting with Xi during his visit to Beijing last year. He said he looked forward to engaging with the Chinese leadership again during his upcoming visit to Tianjin and Beijing, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of States (SCO-CHS) summit and the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance.
Shehbaz underlined Pakistan’s resolve to expand cooperation with China in trade, investment, ICT, agriculture, industrialisation, and minerals, while stressing the pivotal role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in enhancing connectivity and boosting socio-economic growth.
Later, Wang Yi also met President Asif Ali Zardari at the President’s House, where he was joined by FM Ishaq Dar, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and other federal ministers. President Zardari hailed the relationship as one between “iron brothers, time-tested friends and all-weather strategic partners.”
He emphasised that friendship with China remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, enjoying unanimous political, public, and institutional support. Zardari also expressed gratitude to China for its consistent backing of Pakistan’s sovereignty and its principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. Extending condolences over the loss of lives in recent floods in Beijing and Gansu, the president announced that Pakistan plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with China in 2026 “in a befitting manner.”
