Pakistan PM discusses Middle East peace efforts with Chinese counterpart

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has discussed efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang, urging Beijing to “really be together” in restoring peace amid the ongoing US–Israel conflict.

During talks at the Great Hall of the People, he said the international community was going through “a very critical moment” and stressed the need for coordinated action, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Sharif made it clear that they have to really be together, so that the world at large is at peace and business as usual starts again, noting that “this crisis has hit not only the economy in the region […] but the global community.”

Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagement in the region, saying the country had played a “sincere role” in facilitating contacts between the United States and Iran.

Expressing hope for progress, the prime minister stressed that he prayed for lasting peace, adding that “lots of ground has already been covered” and that developments were moving in a positive direction.

Shehbaz thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leadership in Beijing for their support for Pakistan’s peace efforts and for backing a ceasefire, adding that Islamabad endorsed Xi’s four-point peace initiative.

At the start of the meeting, he expressed appreciation for China’s invitation and praised ongoing development across the country, noting visible progress during each visit.

He also extended condolences over a deadly gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province that killed at least 82 people.

Marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, Shehbaz described the bilateral partnership as a legacy built by the countries’ founding leaders, which current governments were now working to strengthen further.

Premier Li Qiang also addressed the talks. Earlier in the day, Shehbaz was given a guard of honour at the Great Hall of the People, where both sides introduced their delegations and exchanged national anthems.

During his visit, the prime minister is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese leaders, as well as attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

He is accompanied by senior ministers, including Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, and Shaza Fatima Khawaja.

The visit has focused heavily on expanding economic and technological cooperation, with several agreements and memorandums of understanding worth billions of dollars signed in Hangzhou following meetings with Chinese companies, including Alibaba Group.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov