Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution in facilitating contacts between the United States and Iran, praising Islamabad’s growing role in regional diplomacy aimed at easing tensions affecting global energy and trade flows.
The remarks came during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where Xi commended Pakistan’s “constructive efforts” in supporting peace initiatives. He also specifically noted the role of Field Marshal Asim Munir in recent diplomatic outreach linked to US–Iran engagement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the meeting that progress had been made toward stabilising the regional situation, adding that Pakistan had actively contributed to efforts to reduce tensions. He also credited Field Marshal Asim Munir for assisting in facilitating communication channels between Tehran and Washington.
Shehbaz further thanked China for supporting Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives and highlighted a five-point framework jointly announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to promote a ceasefire and regional stability.
The high-level talks followed Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Hangzhou, where Pakistan and China expanded cooperation across technology and economic sectors.
During the visit, Pakistani and Chinese companies signed agreements and memorandums worth more than US$7 billion, covering IT, telecom, agriculture, and battery energy storage projects. The prime minister also held meetings with Alibaba leadership, including Chairman Joe Tsai, resulting in a long-term cooperation framework focused on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech, healthcare technology, telemedicine, agriculture, and digital trade.
In parallel, Pakistan’s Ministry of IT announced multiple digital cooperation initiatives under the broader Digital CPEC framework, including AI collaboration between Ignite and Alibaba DAMO Academy, sovereign cloud development, digital skills training, fintech expansion, and 5G-related projects.
The visit also marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, reinforcing deepening strategic and economic ties alongside emerging diplomatic coordination on regional conflicts.
