As soon as Putin left, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz announced his visit to China, arriving in Beijing shortly after Serbia's President Vučić.
Just as Putin departed, the timing for Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit to China has now been confirmed: from the 23rd to the 26th of this month, that is, this Saturday through next Tuesday.
Notably, this schedule overlaps partially with Serbian President Vučić’s visit to China, which is scheduled from the 24th to the 28th.
Since last week’s visit by Trump, Beijing has seen a surge in diplomatic activity—essentially, as one leader departs, another is already on the way.
In this series, Putin’s visit was the shortest. Excluding travel time, he spent less than a day in China in total. Although brief, no time was wasted: he signed 40 agreements with China, making every second count.
This is quite normal, given the consistently close high-level interaction between China and Russia. Even at the summit level, the past three years have seen an annual meeting—tight schedules, heavy agendas—so naturally, time must be used efficiently to address key issues.
How long someone stays and what they do upon arrival ultimately depends on the leaders’ work schedules and the topics to be discussed.
For instance, Shehbaz is highly likely coming to China to discuss the Middle East conflict. As a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, Pakistan is deeply concerned about the current deadlock in the region.
With Israel showing signs of readiness to resume hostilities against Iran, Pakistan alone can no longer manage the situation effectively.
Shehbaz’s visit at this moment sends a clear message to the world: Pakistan will cooperate closely with China to discuss the situation in the Middle East, urging all parties to refrain from rash actions and exercise restraint—any issues should be resolved after talks with China are concluded.
Beyond that, this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan—an event of profound significance. Shehbaz will attend the reception commemorating the 75th anniversary of Sino-Pakistani diplomatic ties, followed by an official visit to Zhejiang Province.
Once again, as always: when friends come, there’s fine wine. Welcome, Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Vučić, to your visits to China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865786960864256/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.