Islamabad – Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 6th round of the Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad on Wednesday, 21 August 2025, reviewing the full spectrum of bilateral ties and agreeing to advance cooperation under the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0). The talks covered trade, investment, economic cooperation, regional stability, multilateral coordination, and people-to-people exchanges, underscoring the depth of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries.

The dialogue, first launched in 2019, has become an institutionalized platform for both nations to align their strategic priorities. Previous rounds were hosted alternately in Beijing, Chengdu, and Islamabad, with each meeting deepening mutual trust and reaffirming political solidarity. This sixth round not only reinforced political and economic cooperation but also highlighted shared views on regional and international challenges.

Upgrading CPEC: A Green, Growth-Oriented Corridor

Both sides reaffirmed that CPEC will be transformed into a “growth, livelihood-enhancing, green, and open corridor,” expanding cooperation across industrial, agricultural, and mining sectors, as well as major infrastructure projects including Gwadar Port, the Karakoram Highway realignment, and the ML-1 railway project.

Wang Yi described CPEC as the cornerstone of Pakistan-China strategic partnership, stating that the current priority is to advance high-quality development of the corridor. He added that China would continue supporting Gwadar Port development, encouraging third-party investment in ML-1, and promoting industrial and agricultural cooperation to enhance Pakistan’s self-sustained development and economic resilience.

PM Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that CPEC is “vital for Pakistan’s socio-economic development and regional connectivity,” expressing satisfaction over the steady progress of CPEC Phase II. During the dialogue, both sides also discussed the launch of joint training programs under CPEC-II in fields including construction engineering, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and hospitality management.

The discussions were followed by a joint press conference, where FM Dar termed the talks “fruitful and substantive,” noting that the two leaders discussed “various matters of mutual interest, including CPEC, trade and investment, science and technology, and people-to-people cooperation.” He added that “the important developments pertaining to our region and the world at large were also reviewed,” with “complete unanimity and consensus on all important matters.”

Security, Regional Peace, and Multilateral Coordination

The dialogue addressed concerns over past attacks targeting Chinese personnel and projects. Wang Yi commended Pakistan, stating that it is “effectively protecting the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions” and “highly commends Pakistan’s tireless efforts in combating terrorism, as it firmly believes that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operation will secure victory.” Islamabad reassured Beijing of strengthened security measures, highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices in global counterterrorism.

When asked about China’s relations with India, Wang noted that the partnership would “not affect any third party.”

The meeting followed the recent Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral dialogue in Kabul on 20 August 2025, where all three countries committed to strengthening joint efforts against terrorism and agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan.

“Recently our two countries have worked together to establish tri-lateral partnerships with other countries in the region”, Dar mentioned. “These mechanisms signify our joint resolve to promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, and to share the dividends of Pak-China friendship with other countries in the region and beyond”, he added.

FM Dar emphasized that the two countries enjoy “complete unanimity and consensus on all major bilateral, regional, and global matters” and stressed ongoing coordination at multilateral forums, including the United Nations Security Council, where Pakistan currently serves as a non-permanent member.

Diplomatic Engagements and Upcoming Milestones

The dialogue also focused on preparations for PM Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to China at the end of August 2025 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit in Tianjin, China from 31 August to 1 September 2025, where he will meet President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other senior Chinese leaders, and host a Pak-China B2B Investment Conference.

Wang Yi extended condolences for the recent floods in Pakistan and assured that China would “immediately provide emergency humanitarian assistance.” Both sides also discussed next year’s 75th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations, agreeing to “jointly prepare and ensure the success of the series of activities for the 75th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations next year.”

During separate meetings on 21 August 2025, PM Shehbaz Sharif lauded President Xi Jinping’s “visionary leadership” and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to deepening cooperation across trade, investment, Information Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture, industrialization, and minerals. Wang Yi described Pakistan as an “ironclad friend and all-weather strategic partner,” noting China’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, counterterrorism efforts, and regional stability.

Officials concluded that Pakistan-China relations are indispensable for regional peace, stability, and prosperity, with both sides vowing to maintain close communication bilaterally and multilaterally, while reinforcing the importance of CPEC as a driver of economic growth and regional connectivity. The meeting also set the stage for a formal launch of CPEC-II during PM Shehbaz’s China visit, focused on industrial cooperation, after a delay of about five years.