Pakistan, China reaffirm 'iron-clad' alliance as Dar hails deep strategic partnership

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday declared that Pakistan-China relations were rooted in “mutual trust, respect and benefit,” as Islamabad and Beijing marked 75 years of diplomatic ties with renewed pledges to deepen strategic cooperation across political, economic and regional fronts.

The remarks came during a special Senate session held in honour of a high-level Chinese delegation led by Cai Dafeng, which visited Pakistan to commemorate the anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The session, chaired by Yousaf Raza Gilani alongside Dar, underscored the growing strategic importance of the Pakistan-China partnership amid shifting regional and global dynamics.

Addressing lawmakers, Dar said Pakistan remained firmly committed to the One China policy and appreciated Beijing’s unwavering support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, security and economic development.

“Pakistan-China bilateral relations are multidimensional and based on mutual trust, respect and mutual benefit,” Dar said, adding that both countries had consistently coordinated at international forums, including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to defend the interests of developing nations.

The foreign minister also revealed that Pakistan had played a diplomatic role in easing tensions between the United States and Iran and noted that Islamabad and Beijing had jointly proposed a five-point peace initiative during his recent visit to China — a proposal later endorsed by dozens of countries.

Recalling the origins of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Dar said the project emerged from discussions held after the 2013 elections when Pakistan was grappling with crippling energy shortages.

“At that time, Pakistan faced up to 18 hours of load-shedding in cities and 20 hours in villages. We asked China to help Pakistan overcome the crisis, and those discussions later evolved into CPEC,” he said.

Dar described CPEC as a transformative initiative that reshaped Pakistan’s economic landscape, saying the second phase of the project — “CPEC 2.0” — would focus on advanced energy projects, industrial cooperation and broader development initiatives.

“From the Karakoram Highway to Gwadar Port, symbols of Pakistan-China friendship are spread across the country,” he added.

The deputy prime minister also highlighted growing parliamentary engagement between the two nations and announced that he would accompany Shehbaz Sharif on an official visit to China from May 23 to 26 to participate in celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

He said the visit would include meetings with Chinese leaders, including Li Qiang, alongside the launch of the Pakistan-China Political Parties Forum and sessions under the CPEC joint consultative mechanism.

Meanwhile, Senate Chairman Gilani described Pakistan-China relations as an “iron-clad friendship” built on decades of trust, solidarity and shared strategic objectives.

“Pakistan-China friendship is higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel,” Gilani told the House, invoking the famous phrase often used to describe bilateral ties.

He said the relationship had become a cornerstone for peace and stability in Asia and praised China’s rapid economic transformation as a model for Pakistan.

“China promotes relations in the world for development, unlike countries that once built ties for wars,” Gilani remarked, adding that the successful completion of CPEC would stand as a global symbol of enduring Pakistan-China friendship.