Pakistan PM Shehbaz visits China

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in China on May 23 for a four-day visit that Beijing had announced in advance as an official trip running through May 26. China’s foreign ministry said Sharif would visit at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, while Pakistani and regional reports said the war involving Iran would hang over the meetings. Reuters reported on May 21 that Beijing did not specify whether the Iran war would be discussed, even as Pakistan and China were both described as pursuing diplomatic efforts tied to the conflict. ### What is actually confirmed about Sharif’s trip? China’s foreign ministry said on May 21 that Sharif would pay an official visit from May 23 to May 26. Reuters, citing the ministry, reported that Sharif was due in Beijing for talks during that period, and The Hindu separately reported the same dates for the visit. (mfa.gov.cn) Pakistan’s government and allied media had also previewed the trip as one focused on bilateral, economic and strategic ties. Pakistan Today, citing Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said Sharif was expected to meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang during the visit, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. (mfa.gov.cn) ### Where does Iran fit into the visit? Reuters reported on May 21 that the trip was being overshadowed by the war in Iran, though China’s foreign ministry did not say whether the subject would be formally on the agenda. Reuters also said Pakistan and China had both sought to mediate in the Middle East conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (pakistantoday.com.pk) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on May 23 that Sharif was beginning a three-day visit as tensions in the Middle East remained high and that analysts expected him to press for renewed urgency in U.S.-Iran negotiations. That characterization was attributed to analysts, not to either government. (msn.com) ### Did China recently meet Iranian and U.S. visitors? Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on May 6, according to Reuters reporting carried by U.S. News and Channel News Asia. CNBC also reported the May 6 meeting and said it came days before a planned U.S.-China summit in Beijing. (rferl.org) U.S. President Donald Trump then held talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14, according to China’s foreign ministry. Reuters-linked reporting and other coverage said the Iran war formed part of the backdrop to that summit, though the publicly released Chinese account covered a broader bilateral agenda. (usnews.com) A separate U.S. delegation also met Wang Yi in Beijing on May 7, when Senator Steve Daines led a visiting Senate delegation, according to China’s foreign ministry. The official Chinese readout did not describe that meeting as a ceasefire mission. ### Is there evidence Sharif asked Xi to guarantee a ceasefire? (mfa.gov.cn) Social media posts on May 23 said Sharif was seeking Xi Jinping’s help to halt the war and had asked China to act as a guarantor for ceasefire efforts. I could verify the existence of Sharif’s trip and China’s recent contacts with both Iranian and U.S. officials, but I could not independently confirm from official statements or primary-source reporting that Sharif made a specific request for Xi to serve as guarantor. (mfa.gov.cn) China’s public position on the conflict has been to call for a ceasefire and continued negotiations. In foreign ministry remarks published on May 15, Beijing said a comprehensive ceasefire should not be delayed and that negotiations should continue. ### What should readers watch next? (mfa.gov.cn) May 26 is the next fixed date in the diplomacy calendar. China said Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair a high-level U.N. Security Council meeting in New York that day, and Sharif’s visit is scheduled to end on May 26 as well. Any Chinese or Pakistani readout from meetings with Xi Jinping or Li Qiang, and any U.N. remarks by Wang, would be the next places to look for a public account of whether Iran figured directly in the talks. (mfa.gov.cn) (msn.com)