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BEIJING: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will head to China this weekend for talks with President Xi Jinping, Beijing said on Thursday (May 21), without specifying whether the war in Iran would be discussed.
Islamabad and Beijing have both sought to mediate in the Middle East conflict, sparked by United States and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.
A ceasefire agreement since Apr 8 has halted hostilities, but American President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the window for diplomacy was closing.
"The leaders of China and Pakistan will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern," said Chinese ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun of the Saturday to Tuesday visit.
Islamabad did not immediately confirm the visit on Thursday.
Guo added that China would work with Pakistan to "make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East".
"China supports Pakistan in playing a fair and balanced mediating role in promoting peace and ending the war," he said.
Pakistan has emerged as a central mediator between the US and Iran, hosting talks last month.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Sunday in Tehran with Iran's chief negotiator and speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was due in Tehran on Thursday, Iranian media reported.
China has played a quieter role, shepherding phone calls and meetings with officials of affected Gulf countries.
After high-profile talks with President Xi in Beijing last week, Trump told Fox News the Chinese leader had offered China's help to open the Hormuz Strait - the key oil route largely blocked since the war erupted.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Islamabad this month to "step up mediation efforts" in the Middle East, speaking to his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in a call.
In the past two weeks, Beijing has hosted visits from Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This would be Sharif's first visit to China in 2026 after he went last year for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin - hosted by Xi in late August - and a massive military parade in Beijing shortly after.
"IRON BROTHERS"
Pakistan and China have maintained close diplomatic and strategic relations for decades, often describing their partnership as an "all-weather friendship" that is "higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel".
The countries - which share a 523km long border and call themselves as "Iron brothers" - on Thursday celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations, with commemorative messages shared by Xi, Sharif and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
China is Pakistan's largest trading partner and a major investor, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and has poured tens of billions of dollars to fund massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects.
The visit comes just as Rubio is set to travel to India, Pakistan's neighbouring rival.
The two countries also cooperate closely on defence, trade, and regional security.
Last May, Islamabad used Chinese-made military hardware, including fighter jets, against India during a brief conflict.
Their ties have strengthened further in recent years amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in South Asia, particularly in relation to India.
