The BRICS TimesField Marshal Asim Munir, part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s SCO delegation in Tianjin, holds talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and will witness a military parade of the PLA.
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Tuesday held a formal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Munir was accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as part of Pakistan’s high-level delegation attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. His engagement with the Chinese leader took place just a day after the SCO summit concluded with a joint statement that strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror strike and denounced terrorism worldwide.
Although Pakistan was not specifically named in the declaration, it signed the document along with the other nine SCO member states. During his address at the summit, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointedly remarked about “certain countries” adopting terrorism as state policy, a thinly veiled reference to Islamabad. New Delhi regarded the explicit mention of the Pahalgam attack in the declaration as a diplomatic success, given that India has held Pakistan responsible for the April assault. Following the incident, Indian security forces launched retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor in May.
Munir, widely acknowledged as the most influential figure in Pakistan, had been elevated from General to Field Marshal soon after claiming success in countering India’s military action. His presence at the SCO gathering in Tianjin underscores Islamabad’s efforts to project strong regional engagement. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to attend an elaborate parade of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in the Second World War, where advanced Chinese weaponry will be showcased.
This marks Munir’s second visit to China since becoming army chief. His earlier trip in July saw him meet Vice President Han Zheng, though not President Xi—an opportunity his predecessor General Qamar Javed Bajwa had received. Before his elevation, Munir was even hosted by then US President Donald Trump at a rare luncheon, a gesture that drew attention both in India and in Beijing due to Pakistan’s deep strategic ties with China.
While President Xi interacted with Prime Minister Modi and several other leaders during the SCO summit, his bilateral engagement with Pakistan’s leadership was scheduled for the following day. In Beijing, Xi welcomed Prime Minister Sharif, joined by Munir, for wide-ranging talks. The Chinese military parade that they will witness is of particular importance to Pakistan, given that more than 80 percent of its defense acquisitions come from Chinese suppliers—something India has highlighted repeatedly after Operation Sindoor.
In recent months, India and China have also adjusted their relations, which had remained strained since the Galwan Valley clashes five years ago, further complicated by the imposition of heavy US trade tariffs during Donald Trump’s presidency.
According to Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was part of the discussions, Munir, Sharif, and Xi Jinping explored multiple aspects of bilateral and regional cooperation. Xi emphasized the need to speed up efforts to build a closer China-Pakistan partnership and present it as a model for regional cooperation. Reports from China’s state-run Xinhua agency quoted Xi affirming Beijing’s readiness to upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. He also underlined the importance of Pakistan ensuring greater security for Chinese projects, institutions, and personnel operating on its soil.
Prime Minister Sharif, in response, praised Xi’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI), unveiled during the SCO summit, describing it as a significant step for global stability, peace, and development. Sharif assured that Pakistan would extend full support to the initiative and actively contribute to its implementation, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to closer alignment with Beijing’s vision.
