Pakistan, China vow closer cooperation on regional security during FM Wang’s visit
ISLAMABAD: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has met top Pakistani civilian and military leaders and discussed with them regional security and counter-terrorism among other affairs, the Pakistani government and military said on Friday, with both sides resolving to strengthen their strategic cooperation.
Wang landed in Islamabad on Wednesday for a two-day Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, days after his talks in New Delhi with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval over their disputed Himalayan border. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit.
His Pakistan trip comes just months after a brief but intense military standoff between India and Pakistan in May, during which Islamabad deployed Chinese-made fighter jets and missiles. India later claimed Beijing had actively supported Pakistan’s response, though officials in Islamabad said their country’s “victory” in the conflict was based on its own capabilities.
During his stay in Islamabad, the Chinese foreign minister met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, with the Pakistan premier reiterating Islamabad’s resolve to further strengthen its partnership with China and underlining the central role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in bilateral ties.
