HIGH level visits and interactions almost always pave the way for greater understanding and cooperation between countries and this has once again been underlined by the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to China to lead Pakistan’s delegation at the crucial strategic dialogue where the Chinese side was headed by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of Pak–China relations and discussed key issues at the regional and global levels, reaffirming that their friendship is vital for peace, stability and prosperity in the region and for the two countries.
The visit assumes greater significance as the two countries decided to celebrate the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations with the two leaders unveiling the logo for the purpose, marking the start of year-long celebrations to commemorate this historic milestone in a befitting and memorable manner. Hopefully, the carefully drawn activities in the two countries will not only highlight the warmth in their enviable relations but also become instrumental in diversification and deepening of ties in all spheres of life. This will be in line with the aspirations of the people of Pakistan, who greatly value their friendship with China, which has played a dominant role in accelerating the pace of socio-economic development in the country. The relations between the two countries have always been cordial from the very beginning as they were based on the universally accepted principles of sovereign equality, peaceful co-existence and convergence of interests but they witnessed a huge transformation after the launch of the historic developmental initiative known as ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’ as it improved the socio-economic landscape of Pakistan, especially in the realms of infrastructure, energy, transport and connectivity. No doubt, Pakistan has cooperative partnership with many countries but the case of China has a special significance and more favourable public perception mainly because of the quality and speed of the delivery and tangible commitments of Chinese leadership to the cause of progress and development of Pakistan and respect for its sovereignty and independence. The stance adopted by China during the Pakistan-India War of May 2025 and the role played by the Chinese-supplied defence weapons saw the goodwill for China jumping to new heights. It is hoped that the understanding reached during the Foreign Minister’s visit, year-long activities to commemorate 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and Phase-II of the CPEC will go a long way in solidifying relations to the mutual advantage of the two countries.
