FM Dar to visit China on 31 March for talks on regional tensions

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit China on Tuesday at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to hold in-depth discussions on regional tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a post on X on Monday.

“Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, characterised by close coordination and regular consultations on regional and international issues,” the Foreign Office said.

The statement stated that within this context of deep cooperation, the visit will allow the two sides to “hold in-depth discussions on regional developments” and global matters of shared concern.

The visit comes as Islamabad concluded a four-nation meeting aimed at promoting dialogue and diplomacy to end hostilities in the Middle East.

The meeting brought together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt as part of a coordinated effort to de-escalate a conflict now entering its second month, amid growing concerns over wider regional spillover and disruption to global energy supplies.

Dar revealed on Sunday that China extended full support to Islamabad’s initiative following his telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. “Initiating peace talks is no easy task, but it is the only viable path to avoid further casualties and losses,” Yi said, according to an official Chinese readout.

The ministry noted that FM Dar’s visit will proceed “despite medical advice to rest following a hairline fracture to his shoulder sustained yesterday,” underscoring the importance Pakistan attaches to its relationship with China.

Dar sustained the injury on Sunday after slipping and falling while receiving the Egyptian foreign minister in Islamabad, his son Ali Dar confirmed in a post on X.