Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday termed Pakistan-China friendship “vital” for regional peace and stability as both leaders co-chaired the 7th round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.
Dar reached Beijing on Saturday at Wang’s invitation, primarily to co-chair the strategic dialogue.
Following the dialogue, the Foreign Office (FO) in a statement on social media platform X said: “Highlighting the salience of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, both leaders reaffirmed that the Pakistan-China friendship is vital for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and for the two countries.
“They also agreed to enhance coordination at bilateral and multilateral fora,” the FO added.
The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of Pak-China relations and discussed “key issues at the regional and global levels”. The FO further said views were exchanged on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade, multilateral cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
“The two leaders also agreed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations,” the FO added.
In a separate post, the FO said Dar and Wang jointly unveiled the logo for the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, “marking the start of year-long celebrations to commemorate this historic milestone in a befitting and memorable manner”.
The sixth round of the strategic dialogue was held in Islamabad in August, with Yi visiting the capital and meeting Dar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
At the time, China had affirmed its commitment to working with Pakistan on promoting regional peace, development and stability.
Dar, who serves as the deputy prime minister as well, also held meetings with Chinese dignitaries in Beijing earlier in the day, with exchanges mainly focusing on bilateral ties, according to statements issued by the FO.
Among those Dar met was Chinese Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
“The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” the FO said, adding that the Chinese executive vice premier “appreciated Pakistan’s consistent support to China on issues of core interest”.
Both leaders noted the historic significance of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between their countries and agreed to utilise this milestone to chart a forward-looking vision for enhanced cooperation, including under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the statement said.
Vice Premier Ding conveyed New Year greetings to the leadership and people of Pakistan, it added. A separate FO statement said Dar also met the minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Liu Haixing.
Dar congratulated Minister Liu on the successful convening of the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the statement said.a
It added that the two sides “expressed satisfaction with the steady and forward-looking trajectory of bilateral relations while reviewing party-to-party exchanges, regional developments, and progress on various projects under CPEC”.
They also agreed to jointly commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China in a “befitting and meaningful manner”.
Dar, who is visiting Beijing at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Yi, was received at the airport by China’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, Pakistan’s ambassador to China and officials from the Pakistani Embassy.
Apart from the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Dar was also set to attend events marking the beginning of the 75th year of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties, with both countries planning initiatives and commemorative activities throughout 2026, the FO previously said.
The dialogue was the “highest consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China, providing a structured platform to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest”.
As per the FO, during the dialogue, the two foreign ministers were also to announce a series of initiatives and commemorative activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
It had added that the visit formed an important part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and reflected their shared determination to broaden and deepen their cooperative partnership, while reaffirming their mutual commitment to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.