The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister is the first international dignitary to visit Beijing in 2026 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart.
Depart for Beijing to co-chair the seventh strategic dialogue of foreign ministers with China
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar left for Beijing to co-chair, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the seventh Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. The event will take place on January 4.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stated that Dar is the first foreign dignitary to visit China in 2026, at Yi’s invitation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar left for Beijing to co-chair, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the seventh Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on January 4, 2026.
The DPM/FM is the first foreign dignitary to visit China in… pic.twitter.com/kpqYha6tol
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 3, 2026
The publication goes on to say that “the dialogue will review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership and further advance the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China.”
The Ministry of External Affairs, in an inaugural announcement issued on December 31, 2025, described the strategic dialogue as “the most important consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China.”
According to the statement, Dar’s visit “forms an important part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.” The curtain raiser also clarified that the visit is aimed at reaffirming Pakistan and China’s “mutual commitment to regional peace, stability and sustainable development.”
The two nations, or the “iron brothers”, established diplomatic relations in 1951, making Pakistan one of the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China. The neighbors are now preparing to commemorate 75 years of relations amid changing dynamics on the regional and global stages.
The ties between the two have evolved over the years into a comprehensive strategic partnership backed by political trust, defense cooperation and economic commitment.
