ISLAMABAD — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi landed in Islamabad on Wednesday night, after visits earlier in day to New Delhi and Kabul.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar welcomed Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China. The visit comes ahead of the 6th Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, scheduled for Thursday, where both countries’ foreign ministers will hold detailed discussions.
During his visit, Mr Yi is also expected to meet with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Earlier in the day, he participated in a trilateral meeting with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister in Kabul.
The strategic dialogue aims to further strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and China across multiple sectors, reflecting the deepening ties between the two countries.
Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan agreed to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and enhance collaboration in areas including trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and drug control. The commitment came during the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue in Kabul, attended by Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar, China’s Wang Yi, and Afghanistan’s Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Ahead of the trilateral meeting, Dar met with Muttaqi to review Pakistan-Afghanistan ties and emphasize joint counter-terrorism efforts. While political and commercial relations have improved, Dar noted that progress on security cooperation remains slow, citing terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil. Afghanistan reaffirmed that its territory will not be used for attacks against Pakistan or other countries.
The discussions also highlighted the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan and the formal resumption of the trilateral dialogue process, which had been paused since 2023.
Earlier, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to exchange ambassadors, marking a step toward normalizing ties after years of strained relations.
