PM Shehbaz holds talks with Chinese leaders, Xi says Pakistan priority in neighborhood diplomacy
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Civil Defense Force Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar pose for a group photo in Beijing. PHOTO: APPLICATION
ISLAMABAD:
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday described ties with Pakistan as “unbreakable” and said Beijing would always prioritize relations with Islamabad in its diplomacy with neighboring countries, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held in-depth talks with Chinese leaders during a high-profile visit to Beijing.
The visit follows recent trips by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing, highlighting China’s growing diplomatic centrality and at the same time Pakistan’s growing geostrategic profile amid rising global tensions and shifting geopolitical alignments.
Meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz at the Great Hall of the People, President Xi said China and Pakistan have forged an “unbreakable traditional friendship” over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
“Over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Pakistan have enjoyed mutual understanding, trust and support,” Xi said, according to the official Chinese statement. “No matter how the international landscape changes, China will always prioritize the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighboring countries,” he added.
President Xi stressed that Beijing firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its “independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity” and pledged closer strategic coordination, deeper security cooperation and expanded collaboration in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, agriculture, industry and talent development.
Xi also praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, saying China appreciated Islamabad for “demonstrating a proactive and mediating spirit for the return of peace to the Middle East.”
The Chinese president urged the two countries to maintain close communication and jointly oppose “unilateralism and Cold War mentality,” while promoting “an equal and orderly multipolar world.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz, who was accompanied by Army Chief Marshal Asim Munir and senior cabinet members, in his speech described President Xi as “a great friend of the people of Pakistan and also a great peace-loving friend of all mankind.”
Pakistan, he said, remains firmly committed to the One-China policy and will continue to stand with Beijing on all issues concerning China’s core interests. He also reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and deepening Belt and Road cooperation, as the two countries prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz held delegation-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during which the focus was largely on the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.
Speaking at the meeting, Shehbaz said the world was going through a “very critical moment” and stressed the need for Pakistan and China to “really be together” to restore peace in the region. “I think we really need to be together, so that the world as a whole is at peace and business goes back to business as usual, because this crisis has hit not only the region’s economy but also the global community,” the Prime Minister said.
Referring to Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, Shehbaz revealed that Chief of Defense Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had just returned from Tehran after engaging Iranian and US leaders in indirect mediation efforts. “And he didn’t want to miss this big visit,” the prime minister remarked, noting that the marshal had traveled overnight to join the meetings in Beijing.
Shehbaz said Field Marshal Asim played a “very important role in interacting with Iranian and American leaders”, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar remained in touch with his regional counterparts. “We hope and pray to Allah Almighty that peace will be restored forever, and a lot of ground has already been covered. Things are moving in the right direction,” the Prime Minister said.
He also thanked President Xi and Chinese leaders for supporting Pakistan’s efforts to ensure peace and a ceasefire, adding that Islamabad fully supports Xi’s four-point peace agenda for the Middle East.
At the start of his speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked Chinese leaders for their warm welcome and noted that each visit to China reflects the country’s rapid transformation and economic progress. He also offered condolences following the recent gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province, which claimed the lives of at least 82 people.
Terming the visit a “critical moment in history”, Shehbaz said the two countries were celebrating 75 years of “glorious friendships and diplomatic relations established by our founding fathers”. He added: “They laid a solid foundation, a solid edifice between our two countries and here we are, trying to take that legacy and move in that direction.”
In his address, Premier Li said Pakistan has maintained close communication and coordination, safeguarded common interests and injected positive energy into regional peace. “China is willing to work with Pakistan to pursue greater solidarity, advance traditional friendship, firmly support each other and continue to expand practical cooperation to achieve more results in building a community with a shared future for the two countries,” he added.
Later, the two prime ministers attended the signing ceremony of 15 cooperation agreements in multiple areas, including economy, environment and climate change, agriculture and food security, trade, media, science and technology, counter-terrorism and education.
During the ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People, officials from the two sides exchanged documents. The two sides also signed a handover letter for the donation of veterinary vaccines, as well as protocols for dried fruits, nuts and corn to be exported to China, as well as a letter on cooperation on anti-terrorism equipment.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a warm welcome and a guard of honor at the Great Hall of the People. Shehbaz also laid a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square and paid tribute to the fallen heroes of China’s revolutionary struggle.
Following his meetings, the prime minister said in a social media post that he had had “the warmest and most cordial meeting” with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. “I also appreciated President Xi Jinping’s historic global initiatives, which continue to promote peace, development and shared prosperity across the world,” he said.
“We discussed deepening strategic coordination, promoting the development of high-quality CPEC and expanding cooperation in the fields of industry, agriculture, science and technology, clean energy, digital transformation and space cooperation,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz is on a four-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26, 2026. During the first leg of his visit, he visited Hangzhou, where he chaired the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Information Technology and Telecom.
(WITH APP INPUTS)
