China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on a regional shuttle diplomacy tour. After two days in New Delhi for high-stakes boundary talks with NSA Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, he lands in Islamabad this week for the Pakistan–China strategic dialogue. For India, this leg of Wang’s itinerary will be watched even more carefully than his Delhi stop.
Beijing’s embrace of Islamabad is not new. The so-called “iron brothers” relationship, propped up through loans, weapons transfers and infrastructure projects, has become China’s primary lever in South Asia. Yet Wang’s timing -- fresh from talks in Delhi -- carries an unmistakable signal: China wants to balance its tentative thaw with India by reaffirming its backing for Pakistan.
For Islamabad, the visit is a chance to project relevance amid deepening domestic chaos, economic collapse and growing dependence on foreign bailouts. The Shehbaz Sharif government, under pressure from spiralling inflation and internal crises, desperately needs Beijing’s political cover and financial lifeline.
The so-called “strategic dialogue” between the two sides is not expected to throw up surprises, but the agenda itself raises concerns for New Delhi. Pakistan will push for more Chinese investment under CPEC, which India has consistently opposed because its flagship projects run through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Expanding CPEC or securing new Chinese loans allows Islamabad to showcase China as an alternative to Western lenders, even if in reality it only deepens Pakistan’s debt trap.
Civil–military meetings are also on Wang’s calendar, including with Pakistan’s Army leadership, who remain the real power brokers. For India, this means any assurances Beijing offered in Delhi about de-escalation at the border could quickly be undercut by China’s military–intelligence synergy with Rawalpindi.
The regional context
Wang’s visit to Islamabad comes at a time of fast-changing geopolitics. In recent months, India and Pakistan clashed in May, the Iran–Israel conflict erupted in June, and Pakistan has been cautiously trying to mend ties with Washington. All this has left Islamabad searching for stronger leverage.
By hosting Wang right after his Delhi meetings, Pakistan wants to show both Washington and New Delhi that China’s support remains firm.
For Beijing, the stopover sends its own message. Even as it talks about “stability” and “trust” with India, China is making clear that its all-weather partnership with Pakistan will not weaken, especially as both countries face rising tariff pressure from Donald Trump’s White House.
Why India will watch cautiously
For New Delhi, Wang’s stop in Islamabad raises three main concerns.
Border Talks Undermined – Any Chinese promise of “peace” along the LAC looks hollow if Beijing continues strengthening military ties with Pakistan through joint drills or technology transfers.
CPEC Expansion – New projects or loans under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor would reinforce Pakistan’s claims over PoK and deepen China’s presence in areas India considers its own.
Strategic Encirclement – The sequence of Wang meeting Indian leaders in Delhi and then heading straight to Rawalpindi’s GHQ highlights Beijing’s two-front strategy: offering dialogue to India while boosting Pakistan’s military.
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