Pakistan, Jan. 21 -- The Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue held in Beijing on Sunday, 4 January 2026, took place at a moment when regional peace and global stability once again appear fragile. Rising tensions around Iran, sustained US pressure and intervention in Venezuela, the unresolved tragedy of Gaza, and Afghanistan's uncertain trajectory have collectively pushed the international system into a state of visible unease. Against this unsettled backdrop, Pakistan itself is recalibrating both its internal and external posture in the aftermath of Mark-e-Haq.

In this context, the Beijing dialogue was far less a ceremonial engagement and far more a strategic stock-taking exercise. It marked the second major high-level in...