ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit China on March 31 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as Pakistan steps up diplomatic engagement amid the ongoing war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, characterised by close coordination and regular consultations on regional and global issues.
The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to hold in-depth discussions on evolving regional developments, as well as bilateral and international matters of mutual interest.
The Foreign Office said Dar’s decision to proceed with the visit despite medical advice to rest following a shoulder fracture reflected the importance Islamabad attaches to its ties with Beijing.
The development comes as Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States, facilitating communication between the two sides as the conflict continues. Islamabad has also intensified broader diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region.
A day earlier, Dar said a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt had called for an immediate and permanent end to the Middle East war.
The meeting, held in Islamabad, was attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and focused on efforts to ease rising tensions.
The diplomatic push comes amid attempts to open a window for negotiations to end the more than month-long conflict, which began on February 28 and has impacted the wider Middle East.
The war has also triggered serious economic repercussions, particularly due to disruptions in oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.
As the conflict entered its second month, reports indicated continued escalation, with Israeli forces launching over 140 air strikes within 24 hours targeting sites in central and western Iran, including Tehran.
The fighting has resulted in thousands of casualties and expanded beyond the primary theatres, affecting other regional states. Air strikes over the weekend reportedly damaged major aluminium plants in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE has sought reparations from Iran for attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure, along with guarantees to prevent future incidents.
The conflict widened further after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group launched attacks on Israel, raising concerns over potential disruptions to another key shipping route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Israeli authorities said they intercepted two drones launched from Yemen on Sunday.