ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister of China will arrive in Pakistan on Friday for a two-day state trip to attend the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue, according to the Foreign Office.
The visit of Qin Gang will mark his first official trip to Pakistan since he took office in December of last year.
The Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue’s fourth round will be jointly chaired by Gang and his Pakistan counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. According to the Chinese state-run CGTN broadcaster, the two diplomats will have “in-person and in-depth communication on bilateral relations,” as well as the international and regional situation.
The dialogue is a structured mechanism aimed at reviewing bilateral cooperation in key areas, the Foreign Office said.
China regards Pakistan as a strategic counterweight against their mutual longstanding rival, India, and a hedge against US influence across the region. It also wants to use Pakistan as a gateway to the Muslim world.
The Foreign Office said that during the dialogue, the two governments will reaffirm the abiding vitality of the so-called all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China.
Islamabad and Beijing will also develop a roadmap for multidimensional cooperation and discuss the evolving regional and global landscape.
The third round of the Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue was held in Chengdu, China, in July 2021. Qin’s upcoming visit highlights the significance of the relationship between Pakistan and China and their commitment to further strengthening their strategic partnership.
According to Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, China hopes the visit will “follow through on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, further deepen strategic communication and practical cooperation, promote the building of an ever closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and contribute positive energy to the region and the wider world.”
He said the two countries are “all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad friends, and the friendship is time-honoured.”
