Issue Brief on “Foreign Minister’s Visit to China: Consolidating the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar recently paid an official visit to China from 3 to 5 January.[1] During the visit, he co-chaired the Seventh Round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.[2] This marks another milestone in the evolution of Pakistan-China relations. Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that "Mohammad Ishaq Dar is the first foreign minister received by China in 2026, which highlights the unique and friendly relationship between China and Pakistan". Wang Yi expressed the hope that this visit will serve as an opportunity to kick off the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries."[3]

One of the most important key take away from the visit is the shared commitment to build an upgraded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Version 2.0. Reflecting the maturity of the bilateral economic relationship, both sides agreed to shift the focus from large-scale infrastructure development toward industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, mining, and value-added economic cooperation. This transition signifies a qualitative evolution of CPEC, aimed at creating sustainable growth, employment generation, export-led development, and enhanced economic resilience for Pakistan. Special Economic Zones (SEZs), industrial relocation, and export-oriented manufacturing were identified as key pillars to support Pakistan's structural economic transformation.[4]

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