Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs is the first international dignitary to visit Beijing in 2026 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart
Dar leaves for Beijing to co-chair the seventh strategic dialogue of foreign ministers with China
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar visited Beijing to co-chair, along with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the seventh Strategic Dialogue of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and China. The event will take place on January 4.
The Foreign Ministry, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said Dar was the first foreign dignitary to visit China in 2026, at the invitation of Yi.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar visited Beijing to co-chair, along with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the 7th Strategic Dialogue of Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and China 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 message went on to say that “the dialogue will review the overall bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership and further advance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China.”
The Foreign Office, in a curtain raiser released on December 31, 2025, called the strategic dialogue “the highest consultative mechanism between Pakistan and China”.
According to the statement, Dar’s visit “is an important part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.” The curtain raiser also clarified that the visit was aimed at reaffirming “the mutual commitment of Pakistan and China to peace, stability and sustainable development in the region”.
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 celebrate 75 years of relations amid changing dynamics on the regional and global stages.
Ties between the two countries have evolved over the years into a comprehensive strategic partnership underpinned by political trust, defense cooperation and economic engagement.
