Foreign Leaders Paying Homage to the Emperor's Enthronement Ceremony

Vietnam, Pakistan, and Germany Leaders Officially Visit China... Meet with President Xi in His Third Term
South China Sea Sovereignty, Islamic Cultural Sphere, and Economic Cooperation Reflect Political Calculations of Chinese Leadership

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] The Prime Minister of Pakistan will make an official visit to China. The visit appears to be to celebrate the third term of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (also President of the State and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, hereafter referred to as President). It is expected that the number of foreign leaders visiting China will increase, with leaders from Vietnam and Germany also announcing visits to China.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, and the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on the 27th, citing a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, will officially visit Beijing, China, on the 1st of next month.

Prime Minister Sharif, visiting China at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, will hold talks with President Xi, Premier Li, and Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Xinhua News Agency explained. Since Premier Li and Chairman Li are scheduled to retire in March next year, Li Qiang (Party Secretary of Shanghai) and Zhao Leji (Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection), who are reportedly designated as the next Premier and Chairman of the Standing Committee, are also expected to attend the talks.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "China and Pakistan are strategic partners and strong friends," adding, "In this new era, the two countries will build an even closer community and the talks will contribute to regional peace and stability."

Before the Pakistani Prime Minister, Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the top-ranking power figure in Vietnam, will visit China on the 30th of this month.

Among Western countries, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be the first to visit China. On the 26th (local time), the German Ministry of Economic Affairs approved a plan for the Chinese state-owned shipping company China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) to acquire a 24.5% stake in the Tollerort Terminal at the Port of Hamburg, supporting Chancellor Scholz's visit to China.

Some analysts suggest that the visits by the leaders of Pakistan, Vietnam, and Germany to China are underpinned by political calculations by the Chinese leadership.

First, Vietnam is a country that confronts China over territorial claims in the South China Sea. If the South China Sea territorial dispute escalates, there is a high possibility of U.S. intervention. The South China Sea connects to the Taiwan Strait. If relations with Vietnam deteriorate, it would open the door for U.S. interference in the South China Sea.

Pakistan is directly connected to the Islamic cultural sphere. Pakistan borders India and Afghanistan, serving as a gateway to Islamic cultural regions such as Afghanistan. Pakistan is also a country that can check India, which is in territorial disputes with China along their shared border.

Germany, a major economic power in Europe, is deeply involved in economic cooperation issues. Germany is a key member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and an ally of the United States. Ideologically, it is structurally opposed to China, but economically, it cannot avoid cooperating with China. The invitation of the leaders of Vietnam, Pakistan, and Germany coinciding with the start of President Xi's third term is seen as a premeditated political schedule to check the United States, an analysis gaining traction.

The French daily Le Monde recently reported that in July, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain were invited to visit China in November. Therefore, there is a possibility that President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S?nchez will also visit China and hold talks with President Xi.

However, due to issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the weaponization of Russian natural gas, the European Union is showing collective moves to distance itself from China, making it uncertain whether additional visits will follow.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and reportedly appointed as a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Political Bureau responsible for diplomacy, invited ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stationed in China the day before to explain the results of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. At the meeting, Minister Wang said, "China will provide significant economic benefits to countries around the world in the future, and China hopes to advance modernization together with ASEAN countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.