RAISING DIPLOMATIC PROFILE
Analysts say the upcoming visit reflects Islamabad’s broader foreign policy to strengthen relations with Beijing, while also raising Pakistan’s diplomatic profile on the global stage.
Pakistan and China have both called for de-escalation in the Middle East, where tensions have raised concerns over regional stability and energy security.
Islamabad has also increasingly positioned itself as a diplomatic intermediary between the US and Iran amid tensions involving the two countries, which escalated at the end of February.
“This is a very important year for (the) Pakistan-China relationship, and then in the context of the mediatory role which Pakistan is playing between (the) United States and Iran. So, we should expect something very important,” former Pakistani ambassador to Malaysia Shahid Kiani told CNA.
