Chinese authorities announced this Thursday that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, is scheduled to travel to Beijing this Saturday for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The official visit will last until next Tuesday and comes in a context of growing tension in the Middle East.
The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, cited by the newspaper 'Global Times', explained that "the leaders of China and Pakistan will exchange their positions during a series of exhaustive conversations that are part of the bilateral relations between both countries and that will allow them to address issues of mutual concern."
Although Beijing has not detailed whether the agenda will include the crisis in Iran, still blocked pending a pact for a definitive ceasefire, both Islamabad and the Chinese government aspire to maintain their role as mediators in the conflict triggered after the offensive launched in late February by the United States and Israel.
Guo stressed that "Sharif's visit constitutes an important high-level exchange between the two countries on this significant occasion. China and Pakistan are good friends and strategic cooperative partners. In the last 75 years, bilateral relations have withstood all tests and have remained unwavering, setting an excellent example for relations between states."
In this regard, he recalled that in recent years and "guided by the strategic orientation of the two leaders," both governments have maintained "frequent high-level exchanges and have steadily advanced practical cooperation, achieving fruitful results" in the economic sphere.
The spokesperson added that "both sides have maintained close communication and coordination on important international and regional issues, effectively safeguarding their common interests and promoting regional peace, stability, and development. China hopes that both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen comprehensive cooperation, and jointly write a new chapter in the construction of an even closer China-Pakistan community."
Meanwhile, regional tension continues to rise despite the dialogue process opened between the United States and Iran. The marked differences between the parties have so far prevented a second meeting in Islamabad, after the first face-to-face encounter held in the Pakistani capital following the ceasefire agreement of April 8, which has since been extended indefinitely by decision of US President Donald Trump.
Tehran has justified its refusal to return to Islamabad by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the recent assault and seizure of Iranian ships in the area by US forces, actions it considers a violation of the ceasefire and a direct obstacle to the negotiation process. Despite this, Washington and Tehran maintain indirect communication channels open thanks to Pakistan's mediation.