BEIJING: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar commenced his official visit to China on Saturday which will run until January 5.
The visit includes the seventh round of the China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue between foreign ministers.
Following visits from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China in 2025, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan in August 2025, this meeting highlights the ongoing mutual support and collaboration between the two nations.
Notably, Pakistan was one of the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China, establishing diplomatic relations on May 21, 1951. Over the decades, the two countries have forged a solid bond, constantly strengthening strategic trust and expanding practical cooperation.
In his visit to Pakistan last year, Wang Yi emphasized that the China–Pakistan “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” was unbreakable, underlining the critical importance of bilateral cooperation for the development of both countries and regional peace.
The core of their cooperation lies in economic and trade relations. In 2006, the two countries signed a free trade agreement, which came into effect in 2007. Since then, China has become Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $23.06 billion in 2024, marking an 11.1% increase year-on-year.
