Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised Pakistan for what he described as its “constructive role” in efforts to promote peace in the Middle East, as he met visiting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The visit comes as Pakistan continues to play a leading role in mediating talks aimed at ending the US-Israel war on Iran. Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, who has been at the centre of mediating talks between Washington and Tehran, accompanied Sharif.
According to Chinese state media reports, in his meeting with Sharif, Xi said that he appreciates Islamabad’s “constructive role in mediating peace in the Middle East.”
Pakistan has emerged as a central mediator between the United States and Iran, hosting face-to-face talks last month that failed to yield a lasting agreement. China has played a quieter role, shepherding phone calls and meetings with officials of Gulf countries. It has said it will work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Speaking to Chinese leaders in Beijing alongside Munir, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, “The world is passing through a critical moment.” “Things are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank China’s support to promote peace,” he added.
For Pakistan, engaging China in its mediation efforts is also important given close Beijing-Tehran ties. In March, China and Pakistan issued a five-point initiative as their foreign ministers met in Beijing, calling for peace talks and restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
The meeting between Xi and Sharif is likely to be viewed as another indication of the growing strategic alignment between Beijing and Islamabad. China remains one of Pakistan’s most important economic and political partners, particularly through initiatives linked to the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Although details of the broader discussions between the two leaders were not fully disclosed, the acknowledgment of Pakistan’s Middle East diplomacy suggests that regional security issues formed part of the talks.
The meeting took place at a time when international concern remains high over ongoing conflicts and diplomatic uncertainty in the region. Calls for mediation and negotiated settlements have intensified as governments seek to avoid further escalation. By publicly commending Pakistan’s efforts, Xi signaled support for diplomatic engagement and regional cooperation as part of wider attempts to address instability in the Middle East.
Xi Praises Pakistan Ties
Moreover, China’s President Xi Jinping hailed Beijing’s “unbreakable” friendship with Pakistan.
Pakistan is among an exclusive group of countries China regards as an “all-weather strategic partner”, with ties featuring close economic, trade and security cooperation.
Greeting Sharif at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi called him an “old friend” and said that the two countries had “understood, trusted and supported each other” over decades, forging an “unbreakable traditional friendship.”
“No matter how the international situation changes, China always prioritises the development of China-Pakistan relations in its neighbourhood diplomacy.”
Xi Jinping
He added that Beijing was willing to work with Islamabad to build a more close-knit China-Pakistan community with a shared future and achieve more in their “all-weather” cooperation.
Sharif, in turn, called China and Pakistan two “iron brother” countries with a relationship that is “next to none.”
The meeting underscored the close relationship between China and Pakistan. Over the years, Beijing and Islamabad have expanded cooperation across trade, infrastructure, defense, and diplomacy, with both governments regularly coordinating on regional and international issues.
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