Dar, Wang Yi Reaffirm Deep Strategic Partnership
BEIJING:
China has expressed firm support for Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity following recent cross-border hostilities with India, which ended after a ceasefire.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during talks with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Beijing on Tuesday, emphasized that China encourages both India and Pakistan to manage their disputes through dialogue.
Dar’s visit to China follows a series of military exchanges between India and Pakistan, triggered by an April 22 attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. India promptly accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack — an allegation Islamabad strongly denied. Pakistan instead called for an independent international investigation into the incident.
Tensions escalated further on May 6 when India launched missile strikes into Pakistani territory, followed by drone attacks and strikes on air bases. Pakistan responded on May 10 with retaliatory strikes. On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a surprise ceasefire, which has remained in effect for over a week.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Dar and Wang Yi held comprehensive discussions and praised the “ironclad” All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China. According to an official statement, both sides expressed satisfaction over their shared perspectives on regional and global issues and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation for peace, development, and stability in the region.
The leaders also discussed the evolving situation in South Asia, the future direction of Pakistan-China relations, and progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase 2.0.
China, which is Pakistan’s largest defense supplier, continues to play a pivotal role in military cooperation. Dar confirmed during the talks that Pakistan deployed Chinese-made jets during its recent response to Indian aggression.
