Pakistan and China held the third round of the Pakistan China spokespersons dialogue in Islamabad on Monday, October 26, 2026. The talks brought together the press teams of the two foreign ministries to discuss media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan led the Pakistani side. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning led the Chinese side. The Foreign Office said both sides called for closer cooperation between the two ministries.
Pakistan China spokespersons dialogue: what was discussed
The discussions centred on ways to strengthen cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, with a focus on media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy. Both sides stressed closer coordination, regular consultations and expanded exchanges.
The Foreign Office said the two sides wanted those exchanges to promote mutual understanding and deepen the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and China. Both sides also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation already under way between their foreign ministries.
They restated their commitment to close coordination and regular engagement through the spokespersons’ dialogue mechanism. The mechanism is a working channel between the two ministries’ press teams, separate from leader-level meetings and formal diplomatic rounds.
Mao Ning calls on Ishaq Dar
During her visit, Mao Ning also called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan attended the meeting.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment to strengthening the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The Foreign Office said that partnership rests on mutual trust, respect and unwavering support for each other.
Dar also stressed the value of media cooperation, strategic communication and public diplomacy in advancing bilateral relations. He said those tools help build closer people-to-people ties between the two countries.
In a separate post on X, the Foreign Office said Dar appreciated regular consultations and exchanges between Islamabad and Beijing at all levels. It quoted Dar as saying the spokespersons’ dialogue provides an important platform to enhance media cooperation, strategic communication and public diplomacy, and to bring the two peoples closer together.
Why this round matters after a four-year gap
The previous round of the dialogue took place virtually in 2022. That round was led by then Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad and then Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
The 2022 round covered bilateral relations, the working of the two spokespersons’ offices, media cooperation and areas for future collaboration. Monday’s round therefore revived a channel that had not met in person for four years.
The revival also fits a wider pattern of contact between the two countries this week. Feature Pakistan reported on Sunday that Dar met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong to review progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, covering trade, investment, regional connectivity, farm modernisation and people-to-people exchanges.
Monday’s dialogue adds a press and public-diplomacy layer to that economic agenda. It deals with how the two governments explain their positions to their own publics and to each other, rather than with trade figures or project approvals.
What happens next
Neither side announced a date for a fourth round. The Foreign Office statement pointed instead to continued regular consultations and exchanges under the existing mechanism.
For readers, the practical test will be visible in the months ahead: whether the two ministries hold joint briefings, share more material with each other’s media, and keep the channel active between larger diplomatic events.
What is the Pakistan-China spokespersons’ dialogue?
It is a meeting between the spokespersons of the Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministries, focused on media engagement, strategic communication and public diplomacy.
Who led the third round?
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan led the Pakistani side, and Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning led the Chinese side.
When was the previous round held?
The previous round was held virtually in 2022, led by Asim Iftikhar Ahmad and Hua Chunying.
What did Ishaq Dar say during Mao Ning’s visit?
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and stressed media cooperation and people-to-people ties.
