By Khawaja Hamza

Shanghai: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Shanghai on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Pakistan–China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the continued growth of cooperation between the two countries. They emphasized advancing high-quality development under CPEC 2.0 and agreed to expand practical collaboration in trade, investment, science and technology, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments and pledged to maintain close coordination and cooperation at multilateral forums.

Earlier, Ishaq Dar and the Pakistani delegation attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, which was addressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping following the establishment of WAICO by its founding members, including Pakistan.

Pakistan reiterated its support for inclusive and equitable global AI governance, broader access to emerging technologies, capacity-building for developing countries, and stronger international cooperation to bridge the digital divide and ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence are shared worldwide.