China’s Wang Yi to Visit Pakistan This Month Amid Islamabad’s Growing Ties with US
The upcoming talks will cover progress on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), joint security cooperation, regional stability, and the expansion of defence exchange programmes.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a two-day visit to Pakistan later this month to attend the annual Pakistan–China Strategic Dialogue, a key diplomatic platform to review flagship projects and strengthen cooperation in the economic, defence, and security spheres. The meetings are scheduled for August 20–21 in Islamabad and come against the backdrop of shifting regional alignments and heightened geopolitical sensitivities.
During his stay, Wang Yi will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry officials, the agenda will include CPEC progress, joint security mechanisms, strategic depth reviews, regional stability, and expansion of defence exchanges.
This will be Wang Yi’s first visit to Pakistan since the recent escalation in Pakistan–India tensions. Observers believe Islamabad’s evolving engagement with Washington—which has shown signs of deepening in recent months—could form a subtle but significant element in the discussions. Beijing is expected to seek assurances that its strategic and economic influence in Pakistan remains secure despite Islamabad’s outreach to the United States.
Apart from bilateral issues, the dialogue will also touch upon regional matters. Sources told CNN-News18 that after the Islamabad meetings, senior officials from both nations may jointly travel to Kabul for talks with Afghan leaders, focusing on economic connectivity and cross-border security cooperation, especially in light of increased militant activity along the frontier.
The timing of the visit is seen as part of a larger sequence of high-level exchanges. Shortly after the dialogue, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China on August 29/30 for a bilateral engagement and to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. In Beijing, he is expected to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to discuss trade, investment, infrastructure, and regional integration.
Diplomatic sources say the back-to-back visits are vital to reaffirming the Pakistan–China partnership at a time when Islamabad is facing serious economic challenges, seeking to speed up delayed CPEC projects, and navigating a complex regional environment marked by security risks and changing global dynamics.
The Islamabad dialogue is likely to provide a platform for both sides to recalibrate strategies in light of new connectivity prospects in Central Asia, the evolving Afghan situation, and the need to safeguard CPEC investments from security threats. The talks are also expected to underline Beijing’s role as Pakistan’s principal development partner, even as Islamabad balances its ties with other major powers.
With CPEC entering a new phase focusing on industrial cooperation, energy diversification, and socio-economic upliftment, both countries are expected to use the dialogue to finalise project timelines and review security measures for Chinese nationals working in Pakistan.
