ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Pakistan and China shared a “converging vision” on regional and global matters, while addressing the Senate during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Pakistan and China share a converging vision on regional and global issues,” Dar told the upper house of Parliament. A Chinese delegation attending the commemorative events was present in the visitors’ gallery during the session.
Dar said both countries remained committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter at a time when the world was facing increasingly complex challenges. He noted that cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and other international forums had played a vital role in defending the interests of developing countries and promoting global peace.
The foreign minister announced that he would accompany Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on an official visit to China from May 23 to 26. During the trip, the Pakistani delegation would participate in celebrations commemorating 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Dar said the delegation would hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, along with business-to-business engagements aimed at strengthening economic cooperation.
He added that two key mechanisms — the Pakistan-China Political Forum and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Joint Consultative Mechanism — would also meet during the visit. According to Dar, a large multi-party parliamentary delegation from Pakistan would take part in several of the engagements.
Highlighting regional diplomacy, Dar said Pakistan and China had jointly worked to promote peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, describing the effort as a reflection of their shared responsibility as peace-loving nations committed to global security and stability.
Recalling his visit to China in late March, the deputy premier said both sides had formulated a five-point peace initiative regarding the Middle East conflict, which he said had since been endorsed by dozens of countries around the world.
Dar further stated that he had remained in constant contact with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other regional counterparts throughout the Middle East crisis that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Reflecting on the history of bilateral ties, Dar said the relationship between Islamabad and Beijing had evolved over the last 75 years into a strong economic and strategic partnership. “From the Karakoram Highway to Gwadar Port, the symbols of Pak-China friendship are spread all across Pakistan’s geography,” he remarked.
He described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative and a shining example of a shared vision for regional connectivity and prosperity.
Dar said CPEC had played a major role in transforming Pakistan’s economic landscape and expressed optimism about the next phase, CPEC 2.0, which would focus on industrialisation, agriculture, information technology, and socio-economic development.
“We are confident that the benefits of the Pak-China partnership will reach every citizen of Pakistan,” he said, while also recalling China’s support in helping Pakistan overcome severe electricity shortages and loadshedding beginning in 2013.
“China gave massive support in eliminating the outages and loadshedding in Pakistan. We will always remain grateful to China,” the deputy prime minister added.
In a separate press release, Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that Dar reaffirmed Islamabad’s unwavering commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation with China across political, economic, strategic, and people-to-people domains.
The statement added that Dar highlighted the shared determination of both nations to carry their “iron-clad friendship” forward for future generations.
Meanwhile, a Chinese delegation led by Cai Dafeng arrived in Islamabad earlier on Wednesday to participate in the anniversary events commemorating diplomatic relations between the two countries.
According to APP, the delegation was received by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and MNA Romina Khurshid Alam, who serves as convener of the Pakistan-China Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Citing a statement by the Foreign Office spokesperson, APP reported that the Chinese delegation would remain in Islamabad from May 20 to 21.
Addressing the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said few international relationships matched the consistency and confidence seen in Pakistan-China ties.
He described the relationship as one built on mutual trust, steadfast support, and complete respect for each other’s sovereignty and core interests. “It has been tested by time and circumstances, and it has never wavered,” Tarar told lawmakers.
Separately, both the National Assembly and Senate passed resolutions commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China.
In the Senate, Dar moved a resolution recalling the “historic, time-tested and iron-clad friendship” between the two countries, which it said had been strengthened through the wisdom of successive generations of leadership and the enduring goodwill of their peoples.
The resolution stated that the relationship, founded on mutual trust, respect, shared aspirations, and commitment to peace and development, had remained strong despite changes in the international environment.
The Senate resolution also appreciated China’s continued support for Pakistan on issues concerning its core interests, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, stability, and development.
In return, Pakistan reaffirmed its support for China on issues relating to its core interests and reiterated its commitment to the One-China principle, stating that Taiwan was an inseparable part of Chinese territory.
The resolution further stated that Pakistan firmly supported China on matters related to Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea.
It also welcomed growing parliamentary engagement between the two countries and expressed a desire to further strengthen cooperation through dialogue and mutual understanding in pursuit of regional and global peace and development.
The Senate praised expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China in political, economic, strategic, educational, cultural, and people-to-people sectors, saying these ties continued to deepen the friendship between the two nations.
Lawmakers also reaffirmed their support for CPEC and stressed the importance of continued practical cooperation with China for mutual prosperity and socio-economic progress.
The Senate concluded by pledging to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in a dignified manner as a symbol of enduring brotherhood, trusted partnership, and ever-deepening cooperation between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed a similar resolution reaffirming the longstanding friendship, mutual trust, and close cooperation between Pakistan and China.
According to a post shared by the National Assembly on X, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry moved the resolution, which congratulated the government and people of China and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and the “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership”.
The resolution also reaffirmed the resolve to enhance parliamentary cooperation and deepen relations between Pakistan’s National Assembly and China’s National People’s Congress.