Islamabad / Beijing / Washington, July 31, 2025 — Pakistan has earned high praise from diplomatic experts for serving as the essential mediator that paved the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States—a milestone that reshaped global power dynamics.
Professor Victor Gao, Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization, stated in a recent webinar organized by the Asian Institute of Eco-Civilization Research and Development that “China and the US must always be grateful to Pakistan for laying the foundation of China-US relations, one of the most game-changing events in modern history” . Gao described Pakistan’s mediation as a bright example of diplomatic excellence, crediting Islamabad with fostering global development and peace by bringing together two nations of vastly different political and cultural backgrounds .
Historically, Pakistan played a crucial role in facilitating the secret communications and trips that led to the U.S.–China rapprochement in the early 1970s. It hosted Henry Kissinger’s covert visit to Beijing in 1971, under the guise of illness—helping clear the path for President Nixon’s landmark visit the following year . Islamabad acted as a trusted conduit, bridging nationalist China and Western power Washington at a time of intense geopolitical friction.
Echoing Professor Gao’s views, Pakistani leaders and diplomats have regularly reaffirmed Islamabad’s aspiration to act as a “bridge builder” between China and the United States. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told Deutsche Welle that Pakistan embodies diplomacy between superpowers and aims to bridge divides rather than deepen them . Meanwhile, Pakistan’s envoy to Washington stated that Islamabad has the potential to serve as a vital mediator in times of growing Sino-American tension .
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Pakistan’s role in facilitating China–US rapprochement was not just symbolic—it laid an important groundwork for regional and global diplomacy. In the decades since, Pakistan has maintained strong strategic ties with both nations—leveraging its geostrategic position to balance competing interests as great power rivalry intensifies .
Despite growing economic cooperation with the U.S., particularly in recent trade and mineral talks, Pakistan continues to emphasize that its “all‑weather” strategic partnership with China remains core to its foreign policy, rejecting any notion of sacrificing one for the other .