The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia

Pakistan and the Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing

Like other Global South countries, Pakistan would like to pursue cooperation with both the US and China. Will the Beijing summit facilitate that?

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China, May 15, 2026.

As U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met in Beijing this week for what many have called a “superpower summit,” countries of the Global South, such as Pakistan, watched closely, examining the meeting’s outcomes and the implications for themselves. These countries are hoping that improved cooperation between China and the United States could benefit not only the world’s two largest economies, but also smaller and middle powers that are trying to navigate an increasingly turbulent international landscape.

The summit came at a particularly difficult time as violent conflicts in West Asia, maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, and longstanding differences over Taiwan have created a volatile mix of security and economic risks.

Trump’s visit  to China was originally planned for April 2026 but was deferred due to the Israel-U.S. war on Iran.

With a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran now holding, the Beijing summit was able to go ahead. The agenda of Trump’s visit to China expanded to cover other pressing regional issues, such as the reopening of critical maritime routes and a lasting resolution of the Iran dispute. Unlike previous engagements between Washington and Beijing, the just-concluded summit’s agenda was reshaped by the war in Iran and the resulting economic shocks that have forced these issues to the forefront for everyone in the region and beyond.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Trump’s state visit to Beijing as a landmark moment that “injected much-needed stability and certainty into the world.” Moreover, both sides have agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues and to handle mutual concerns “in a proper manner.”

For many in the Global South, this provides reason for cautious optimism. The statement and meeting represent more than bilateral diplomacy, as they could stabilize the situation in West Asia and prove beneficial to smaller powers like Pakistan.

For instance, the Iran-U.S. conflict and the associated closure of parts of the Strait of Hormuz have imposed real costs on countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and others in South Asia. With trade via the Strait of Hormuz facing uncertainty, energy prices have soared. Countries have had to source oil from elsewhere. Moreover, Islamabad, in particular, has had to balance relations with the United States, China, Iran, and Gulf states simultaneously. These pressures have compounded existing economic and geopolitical difficulties.

For Pakistan, a reduced confrontation between the U.S. and China can potentially lessen the burden of constant balancing. In turn, this could allow Islamabad and other regional states to focus more on development priorities rather than crisis response.

Pakistan views this summit through the lens of its own diplomatic history........

© The Diplomat