Wang Yi to visit Pakistan from Aug 20-22 to attend strategic dialogue: China

Beijing, Aug 19 (PTI) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Islamabad on Wednesday to attend the annual strategic dialogue to review all-weather ties, amid Pakistan's efforts to recalibrate its relationship with Beijing’s strategic rival - the US.

Wang will visit Pakistan from August 20-22 and hold the Sixth Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Ishaq Dar, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

In Islamabad, the Foreign Office said that Wang is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Foreign Minister Dar to co-chair the sixth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on August 21.

"The visit is part of the regular high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China to further deepen their ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’, reaffirm support on the issues of respective core interests, enhance economic and trade cooperation, and reaffirm their joint commitment to regional peace, development and stability,” the FO said in a statement.

This will be Wang's second visit to Pakistan in three years, and the latest high-level exchange between the two countries following recent bilateral meetings and visits, Mao told a media briefing in Beijing.

The two sides will have in-depth communication on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, she said.

Answering a question, Mao played down recent efforts by Pakistan to improve ties with the US, especially its Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was hosted by US President Donald Trump for a rare lunch, saying Beijing-Islamabad ironclad ties will not be affected by any third party.

Last month, Munir visited China, where he met Chinese Vice President Han Zeng, Wang and top military brass, but not President Xi Jinping, unlike his predecessor Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“The Pakistan-US relationship is a matter between the two countries,” Mao said.

“China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and our bilateral relationship is not affected by any third party and does not target any third party,” she said.

To a question about Wang's visit to Pakistan close on the heels of his trip to India and whether he would discuss India's concerns over the border terrorism issue, Mao said both India and Pakistan are China's important neighbours.

“We are willing to enhance friendly cooperation with both countries, and hope that differences between these two countries can be properly handled,” she said.

Wang, who arrived in New Delhi on Monday, held talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and attended the 24th round of Special Representatives boundary talks with NSA Ajit Doval on Tuesday.

Asked whether it isn't a challenge to China to pursue relationships with both India and Pakistan at the same time, given the troubled history between the two countries and the current state of affairs, Mao said, “China is willing to conduct friendly cooperation with both countries”.

"As for issues between them, we hope they will find proper solutions. China stands ready to play a constructive role in light of their will," she said. PTI KJV ZH ZH ZH