Pakistan Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, undertook a high-profile visit to Beijing in July 2025, which drew considerable attention from India, given its timing and strategic context.

Munir's visit came shortly after heightened hostilities between India and Pakistan following India's Operation Sindoor, and at a moment when Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, was simultaneously in Washington for meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

This dual engagement with both China and the U.S. was widely interpreted as a diplomatic balancing act by Pakistan, seeking to navigate its relationships with major global powers while countering Indian influence in the region.

During his Beijing visit, Munir held several high-level meetings, including separate talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, top military official General Zhang Youxia (Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission), and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

A central theme of these discussions was the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and responses to shared geopolitical challenges. Both sides reaffirmed their strategic partnership, with Chinese leaders emphasizing the “iron-clad” and “all-weather” nature of their alliance with Pakistan.

A prominent concern raised by China was the security of its nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, especially due to a spate of attacks targeting Chinese workers and investments connected to the CPEC.

Wang Yi explicitly urged Pakistan to intensify efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, referencing recent terrorist attacks against Chinese personnel, and reiterated that Beijing viewed the military relationship as a cornerstone of the broader China-Pakistan partnership.

Munir assured Chinese leaders of Pakistan’s commitment to fully safeguard Chinese interests, highlighting ongoing and future counter-terrorism cooperation and stating that protecting Chinese nationals was supported across all sections of Pakistani society.

The visit also saw acknowledgement of China’s material and intelligence support to Pakistan during recent military clashes with India, affirming Beijing’s continued strategic backing for Pakistan’s defence posture. Both nations expressed satisfaction with the depth of their engagement and pledged to further elevate their cooperation across sectors, including military, economic, and regional connectivity initiatives under CPEC.

Meanwhile, Indian authorities have closely monitored these developments, with India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterating its practice of keeping a vigilant watch over military and security-related activities in its neighbourhood, and raising concerns regarding U.S. support to Pakistan’s military capacity in official dialogues.

Asim Munir’s Beijing visit underscored Pakistan’s reliance on its strategic ties with China for security, economic, and diplomatic leverage, especially in the wake of renewed tensions with India.

The talks reflected a shared resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation, manage regional geopolitical challenges, and address the urgent issue of security for Chinese interests in Pakistan, even as Islamabad sought to maintain functional engagement with Washington.

Based On A PTI Report