Xi hails 'unbreakable' Pakistan friendship

PM Shehbaz holds talks with Chinese leadership Xi says Pakistan priority in neighbourhood diplomacy Chinese pres

ISLAMABAD:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday described ties with Pakistan as "unbreakable" and declared that Beijing would always give priority to relations with Islamabad in its diplomacy with neighbouring countries, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held extensive talks with the Chinese leadership during a high-profile visit to Beijing.

The visit came on the heels of recent trips by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing, underscoring China's growing diplomatic centrality and at the same time Pakistan's growing geostrategic profile amid mounting global tensions and shifting geopolitical alignments.

Meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz at the Great Hall of the People, President Xi said China and Pakistan had forged an "unbreakable traditional friendship" over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"Over the past 75 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Pakistan have enjoyed mutual understanding, trust and support," Xi said, according to the official Chinese readout. "No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always place priority on the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighbouring countries," he added.

President Xi stressed that Beijing firmly supported Pakistan in safeguarding its "independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity" and pledged closer strategic coordination, deeper security cooperation and expanded collaboration in emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, agriculture, industry and talent development.

Xi also praised Pakistan's mediation efforts aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict, saying China appreciated Islamabad for "demonstrating a proactive spirit and mediating for peace to return to the Middle East".

The Chinese president urged both countries to maintain close communication and jointly oppose "unilateralism and the Cold War mentality", while promoting "an equal and orderly multipolar world".

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who was accompanied by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and senior cabinet members, in his remarks, described President Xi as "a great friend of the Pakistani people and also a great friend of all peace-loving humanity".

Pakistan, he said, remained firmly committed to the One-China policy and would continue to stand with Beijing on all issues concerning China's core interests. He also reiterated Islamabad's commitment to advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and deepening Belt and Road cooperation as both countries prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz held delegation-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, where the focus largely remained on the worsening Middle East situation and Pakistan's ongoing mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.

Speaking during the meeting, Shehbaz said that the world was passing through a "very critical moment" and stressed the need for Pakistan and China to "really be together" to restore peace in the region. "I think we have to really be together, so that the world at large is at peace and business as usual starts again, because this crisis has hit not only the economy in the region but the global community," the prime minister said.

Referring to Pakistan's diplomatic outreach, Shehbaz revealed that Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had just returned from Tehran after engaging both Iranian and American leaderships as part of backchannel mediation efforts. "And he didn't want to miss this great visit," the prime minister remarked, noting that the field marshal had travelled overnight to join the Beijing meetings.

Shehbaz said Field Marshal Asim had played a "very important role back and forth with the Iranian leadership and the American leadership", while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar remained engaged with regional counterparts. "We hope and pray to Allah Almighty that peace will be restored forever, and lots of ground has already been covered. Things are moving in the right direction," the prime minister said.

He also thanked President Xi and the Chinese leadership for supporting Pakistan's efforts aimed at securing peace and a ceasefire, adding that Islamabad fully endorsed Xi's four-point peace agenda for the Middle East.

At the outset of his remarks, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked the Chinese leadership for the warm reception and noted that every visit to China reflected the country's rapid transformation and economic progress. He also conveyed condolences over the recent gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province that claimed at least 82 lives.

Calling the visit a "critical moment of history", Shehbaz said the two countries were celebrating 75 years of "glorious friendship and diplomatic relations established by our founding fathers". He added: "They laid a strong foundation, a strong edifice between our two countries and here we are, trying to take that legacy and moving in that direction."

In his remarks, Premier Li said that Pakistan had maintained close communication and coordination, safeguarded common interests, and injected positive energy into regional peace. "China is ready to work with Pakistan to pursue greater solidarity, carry forward traditional friendship, firmly support each other, and keep expanding practical cooperation to deliver more results in building a community with a shared future for the two countries," he added.

Later, both the prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of 15 accords of cooperation in multiple areas, including economy, environment and climate change, agriculture and food security, trade, media, science and technology, counterterrorism, and education.

At the ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People, government functionaries from both sides exchanged documents. The two sides also signed a letter of handover for the donation of veterinary vaccines, along with protocols regarding dried fruits, nuts and maize to be exported to China, as well as a letter on counterterrorism equipment cooperation.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was accorded a warm reception and a guard of honour at the Great Hall of the People. Shehbaz also laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square and paid tributes to the fallen heroes of China's revolutionary struggle.

Following his meetings, the prime minister said in a social media post that he had the "most warm and cordial meeting" with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. "I also appreciated President Xi Jinping's landmark global initiatives, which continue to promote peace, development, and shared prosperity across the world," he said.

"We discussed further deepening strategic coordination, advancing high-quality CPEC development, and expanding cooperation in industry, agriculture, science and technology, clean energy, digital transformation, and space cooperation," he added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz is on a four-day official visit to China from 23 to 26 May 2026. During the first leg of his visit, he travelled to Hangzhou, where he chaired the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on IT & Telecom.

(WITH INPUTS FROM APP)