Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has departed for Beijing for a one-day visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dar and Yi will review bilateral ties and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest during their meeting, it added.

Sindh govt announces public holiday on April 4 for Bhutto’s death anniversary

This marks the foreign minister’s second visit to Beijing this year. His trip follows closely after a four-nation meeting in Islamabad with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt, which focused on the US-Israel war on Iran.

The meeting concluded with initial discussions reportedly focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt landed in Islamabad for the talks. The discussions came as Iran warned the US against launching a ground attack, and global oil prices surged amid continued fighting between Iran, the US, and Israel.

Along with calling for an urgent halt to hostilities, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, reaffirmed Pakistan’s “strong commitment and resolve to play a positive role in bringing both Iran and the US to the negotiating table,” appreciating Turkiye and Egypt’s “valuable contributions” to the matter.

Dar revealed on Sunday that China extended full support to Islamabad’s initiative following his telephonic conversation with the Chinese foreign minister. “Initiating peace talks is no easy task, but it is the only viable path to avoid further casualties and losses,” Yi said, according to an official Chinese readout.

NA updated on HIV cases, treatment

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the meeting, saying, “Pakistan and China enjoy an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, characterised by close coordination and regular consultations on regional and international issues.”