LAST week, the Chinese foreign minister visited South Asia amidst changing regional geopolitics and realignments in international politics. His trip to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan reinforced China’s pivotal role in the emerging global power dynamics.

While it reaffirmed China’s close strategic ties with Pakistan, Wang Yi’s visit to India also signified improvement in relations with the latter country. His day trip to Kabul marked Beijing’s efforts towards regional cooperation and connectivity.

The visit assumes greater significance in view of the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, which heightened tensions in the region, and the breakdown in New Delhi’s strategic relations with Washington, driven by President Donald Trump’s tariff war. The latest development has dramatically changed regional power dynamics, highlighting China’s central role in propelling the shift towards a multipolar world order. Being a major global investor and trading partner, it is reshaping global trade dynamics.

Although Wang Yi did not make any specific comment about the India-Pakistan conflict, he stressed the need for increasing regional cooperation. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, he emphasised that China’s partnerships with both India and Pakistan “were not targeted at any third party, nor were they affected by any third party”. The Chinese foreign minister described Islamabad as the “most important stop”, underscoring a “stronger internal drive” behind Pak-China ties.

During his three-day stay in Islamabad, the Chinese foreign minister co-chaired the Pak-China Strategic........

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