Pakistan, China hold third spokespersons' dialogue in Islamabad
The Foreign Office says talks covered media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy, and that Mao Ning also called on Ishaq Dar.
ISLAMABAD: The third round of the Pakistan-China Spokespersons' Dialogue was held in Islamabad on Monday, with the two foreign ministries' spokespersons discussing how to widen cooperation in media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy.
Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan, spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held the talks with Mao Ning, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a Foreign Office press release. The statement said the discussions focused on further strengthening cooperation between the two ministries, particularly in those three areas.
Both sides, the release said, underscored the importance of closer coordination, regular consultations and enhanced exchanges to promote mutual understanding and to deepen the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China.
Separately, Mao Ning called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan also attended that meeting.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to further strengthening the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, which the Foreign Office described as rooted in mutual trust, respect and unwavering support for each other.
The deputy prime minister emphasised the importance of enhanced media cooperation, strategic communication and public diplomacy in advancing bilateral relations and fostering closer people-to-people ties, according to the statement.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between their foreign ministries and reiterated their commitment to maintaining close coordination and regular engagement under the Spokespersons' Dialogue mechanism.
The Foreign Office release was brief and announced no agreement, document or new initiative arising from Monday's meetings. No date was given for a fourth round.
The second round of the dialogue was held virtually in October 2022, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan, which reported the third round.
The spokespersons' track runs alongside the wider diplomatic engagement between the two countries, whose foreign ministries have used the mechanism for regular consultation at the level of official spokespersons.
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