ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to lead a high-powered delegation to China next month in a visit focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and reviewing regional developments, including the May conflict between India and Pakistan.
According to officials familiar with the development, the prime minister will be accompanied by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The visit is likely to take place in August, with exact dates currently being finalised through diplomatic channels.
The upcoming trip by Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership carries added significance in the wake of the four-day military conflict with India during which Pakistan gained the upper hand, with its Air Force shooting down six Indian fighter jets, including the French-made Rafale.
The conflict drew attention to China’s military hardware, with several Western capitals closely monitoring the developments in South Asia. Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets and beyond-visual-range PL-15 missiles played a critical role.
However, it was Pakistan’s indigenous systems integration that made the Chinese hardware even lethal.
During a recent visit to Pakistan, the chief of the Chinese Air Force expressed a keen interest in learning from Pakistan’s combat experience and multi-domain operations.
In a related development, the Indian Deputy Chief of Army Staff recently claimed that India was engaged in a two-front conflict, while pointing out Chinese involvement in Pakistan’s military success.
Pakistan procures 80 per cent of its military hardware from China.
However, the Pakistan army chief at a recent Corps Commanders’ meeting clarified that the May conflict was “unmistakably bilateral”.
When asked about the Indian general’s claim, a senior Chinese official reportedly laughed off the assertion. The official reaffirmed that while Pakistan and China enjoy long-standing defence cooperation, Beijing has no desire to see conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
He noted that China consistently encourages both countries to resolve disputes through dialogue.
Meanwhile, ahead of the prime minister’s scheduled visit, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected to travel to Beijing this week.
According to a Foreign Office statement, Dar will lead the Pakistani delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting, taking place from July 14 to 16 in Tianjin, China. The visit comes at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Foreign ministers from all SCO member states, including Pakistan, China, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, will participate in the CFM. Belarus will attend for the first time as a full member.
The CFM is the third-highest decision-making body within the SCO framework. It deliberates on issues related to international relations and the foreign and security policies of member states. The council also finalises key documents, declarations and decisions that are later considered by the Council of Heads of State (CHS).
The next CHS meeting is scheduled for August 31 to September 1, 2025, in Tianjin.
During his trip, Dar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the CFM session.
