Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said his country welcomed the two-nuclear armed neighbours for “handling differences through dialogue” during a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart.

Also read | ‘Important neighbours’: What China said on India-Pak ceasefire amid Ishaq Dar’s Beijing visit

This is Pakistan’s first official visit to China after the recent military clashes, which saw tit-for-tat drone, missile and artillery fire after the April 22 terror attack targeting mainly tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

A statement from China’s foreign ministry said, Wang called Pakistan an “ironclad friend” and vowed to deepen the “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” between the two countries.

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Beijing had welcomed the ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, saying it is in the fundamental and long-term interest of both countries, and is conducive to regional peace and stability.

Beijing is Pakistan’s largest arms supplier, and Dar confirmed that Islamabad used Chinese jets against India.

India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri told a Parliamentary committee on Monday that Pakistan’s use of Chinese-made weapon platforms “did not matter” as the Indian armed forces managed to “hammer” the neighbouring country’s air bases while retaliating to escalatory attempts to target Indian military installations and civilian areas.

Also read | What China told Pakistan about the India-Pak ceasefire during high-level call

Dar to meet Afghan foreign minister

The Pakistani foreign minister will also be meeting Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who was expected to arrive in China on Tuesday. According to a report by Geo News, the three leaders will attend a trilateral meeting.

“The foreign ministers of the three countries are expected to discuss the promotion of regional trade, enhanced security cooperation, and the evolving situation in the region, particularly in the wake of the recent Pakistan-India conflict,” Geo News reported.

Dar’s meeting with his Afghan counterpart in China assumes significance amid signs of warming bilateral ties between the Taliban regime in Kabul and New Delhi, which has not recognised the Taliban government or established diplomatic relations. India’s external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, held his first interaction with Muttaqi on May 15.