Ishaq Dar leaves for Beijing to serve as co-chair of the strategic conversation between China and Pakistan.

The Foreign Office announced that Senator Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, left for Beijing on Saturday to co-chair the seventh round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, which is set for Sunday, January 4.

Dar is the first foreign dignitary to visit China in 2026, according to an official release, and is there at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Dar and Wang Yi will co-chair the strategic dialogue.

According to the Foreign Office, the discussions would concentrate on examining the entire range of bilateral cooperation between China and Pakistan, finding new opportunities for cooperation, and fortifying the two nations’ all-weather strategic cooperative alliance.

The strategic conversation, which offers a systematic forum to evaluate bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest, was defined earlier this week by the Foreign Office as the highest consultative mechanism between the two countries.

The two foreign ministers are also anticipated to unveil a number of initiatives and celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties during the discussion.

The visit demonstrates the two nations’ shared commitment to strengthening cooperation, fostering regional peace and stability, and achieving sustainable development, the Foreign Office continued, adding that it is a reflection of their frequent high-level exchanges.

Wang Yi met with Dar, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the previous session of the strategic dialogue, which took place in Islamabad in August. At that time, China reiterated its pledge to collaborate closely with Pakistan in order to promote stability, peace, and development in the area.