New Delhi: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Pakistan on August 21 to attend the sixth round of the Pakistan–China Strategic Dialogue, just after wrapping up his high-profile visit to India.
The Pakistan Foreign Office said the talks will focus on deepening the “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” strengthening trade and defence ties, expanding economic cooperation, and reaffirming joint commitments to peace and stability in the region. The last round of the dialogue was held in May 2024 in Beijing, co-chaired by Wang Yi and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The visit underscores the importance China places on its long-standing partnership with Pakistan, which spans sectors such as infrastructure, energy, defence and connectivity projects under CPEC.
Before his Islamabad stop, Wang Yi met India’s NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi — marking his first India visit since the 2020 Galwan clash. Both sides reviewed progress on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with Doval stressing that “borders have been quiet” and bilateral engagements have gained momentum.
The talks also come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, where regional security and economic issues are expected to dominate.
Notably, Wang Yi’s back-to-back visits to New Delhi and Islamabad highlight Beijing’s diplomatic balancing act in South Asia, as it seeks to stabilise ties with India while consolidating its strategic partnership with Pakistan. Analysts view the timing as crucial, given the shifting security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and the broader SCO agenda.
