Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held meetings with Chinese dignitaries in Beijing on Sunday, with exchanges mainly focusing on bilateral ties, according to statements issued by the Foreign Office (FO).
Dar reached Beijing on Sat┬нurday, primarily to co-chair the seventh round of the Pakistan-China Foreign MinistersтАЩ Strategic Dialogue, which is scheduled for today, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The FO said in a statement on social media platform X today that the foreign minister also met Chinese Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang today.
тАЬThe two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening the PakistanтАУChina all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,тАЭ the statement said, adding that the Chinese executive vice premier тАЬappreciated PakistanтАЩs consistent support to China on issues of core interestтАЭ.
Both leaders noted the historic significance of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between their countries and agreed to utilise this milestone to chart a forward-looking vision for enhanced cooperation, including under the ChinaтАУPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the statement said.
Vice Premier Ding conveyed New Year greetings to the leadership and people of Pakistan, it added.
A separate statement by the FO earlier today said Dar also met Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liu Haixing.
Dar congratulated Minister Liu on the successful convening of the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the statement said.
It added that the two sides тАЬexpressed satisfaction with the steady and forward-looking trajectory of bilateral relations while reviewing party-to-party exchanges, regional developments, and progress on various projects under CPECтАЭ.
They also agreed to jointly commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China in a тАЬbefitting and meaningful mannerтАЭ.
Dar, who is visiting Beijing at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Yi, was received at the airport by ChinaтАЩs Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, PakistanтАЩs ambassador to China and officials from the Pak┬нistani Embassy.
What will the dialogue cover?
Apart from the Pakistan-China Foreign MinistersтАЩ Strategic Dialogue, he will also attend events marking the beginning of the 75th year of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties, with both countries planning initiatives and commemorative activities throughout 2026, the FO previously said.
The dialogue, meanwhile, will review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation, identify new areas of partnership, and further advance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China, the FO said.
It was the тАЬhighest consultative mechanism betw┬нeen Pakistan and China, providing a structured platform to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interestтАЭ.
The FO said that during the dialogue, the two foreign ministers will also announce a series of initiatives and commemorative activities to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
It had added that the visit formed an important part of the regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and reflected their shared determination to broaden and deepen their cooperative partnership, while reaffirming their mutual commitment to regional peace, stability, and sustainable development.
The sixth round of the strategic dialogue was held in Islamabad in Aug┬нust, with Yi visiting the capital and meeting Dar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pres┬нident Asif Ali Zardari.
At the time, China had affirmed its commitment to working with Pakistan on promoting regional peace, development and stability.
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