Xi’s Secret Strategy: Is Washington Losing Control?

Handshake between two individuals with Chinese and Iranian flags in the background

As tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise, Pakistan’s prime minister is heading to Beijing for talks that could deepen China’s influence across Asia at a moment when many countries are increasingly looking beyond the United States for economic and diplomatic leadership.

Story Snapshot

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit China later this month for high-level meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
The trip’s formal agenda centers on investment, digital cooperation, and the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, but it comes as the Iran war threatens global energy flows.
China and Pakistan have already issued a joint five-point peace initiative on Iran and the Gulf, signaling a shared desire to shape any endgame to the conflict.
The visit highlights how non‑Western powers are filling a vacuum left by a distracted and divided Washington, deepening public frustration with Western “elites” and global institutions.

Planned China visit blends investment push with war‑time diplomacy

Pakistani media and regional reporting indicate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to China later this month for a multi-day official visit that includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and senior business leaders. According to reports from Pakistani outlets, the trip is expected to focus heavily on investment, trade cooperation, technology partnerships, and expansion of projects tied to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor — the flagship infrastructure initiative linking Pakistan to China’s Belt and Road strategy.

Officials from both countries are also expected to discuss digital infrastructure, industrial development, and broader economic cooperation, with multiple memoranda of understanding reportedly under preparation. The visit continues a long-running pattern of close engagement between Beijing and Islamabad. Chinese and Pakistani officials frequently describe their relationship as an “all-weather strategic partnership,” and previous summits throughout 2025 centered heavily on infrastructure financing, industrial projects, and regional connectivity.

Iran war and Gulf security loom over Beijing meetings

This latest visit, however, comes at a far more volatile geopolitical moment. Escalating tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States have increased fears over the stability of Gulf energy routes and the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil transit corridors. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has publicly stated that Islamabad has remained in close contact with Beijing throughout the regional crisis. Earlier this year, Chinese and Pakistani officials jointly announced a five-point initiative calling for an immediate ceasefire, protection of civilians, and safeguards for commercial shipping and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.

The joint statements also emphasized adherence to international law and the United Nations Charter while promoting what both governments described as “true multilateralism” — language increasingly used by Beijing as it positions itself as an alternative diplomatic power center to the West. For China, stability in the Gulf is not just a political issue but a major economic priority. China imports enormous quantities of Middle Eastern oil, and any disruption near the Strait of Hormuz threatens both global markets and Beijing’s long-term energy security strategy. Pakistan, meanwhile, faces its own economic vulnerabilities tied to fuel prices, inflation, and regional instability.

Competing narratives: economic summit or crisis council?

Much of the media attention around the May trip has portrayed the visit as almost entirely about the Iran war, suggesting it may overshadow Pakistan–China economic talks. Some Pakistani broadcasts and commentary lean heavily into war-focused headlines, tying the Beijing meetings to speculation about back-channel diplomacy between Washington, Tehran, and regional players.^[3]^[5] Yet the evidence base available now does not include an official itinerary or joint statement for this specific visit that proves crisis diplomacy will dominate the agenda, or that economic cooperation has been pushed to the sidelines.^[1]^[3]^[5]

Official and semi-official materials instead describe an agenda crowded with investment, digital cooperation, and China–Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, including expectations of more than one hundred memoranda of understanding worth several billion dollars. The pattern from prior summits also points to economic and connectivity issues as the backbone of these meetings, with regional security layered on top rather than replacing them. That gap between formal agendas and crisis-driven headlines illustrates how public understanding can be shaped by selective framing, leaving citizens unsure whose narrative to trust in an era when many already believe governing elites are hiding the ball.

What this means for Americans watching from the sidelines

For Americans on both the right and the left, the Pakistan–China alignment during the Iran war raises uncomfortable questions about U.S. leadership. While Washington struggles with partisan gridlock, debt, and a foreign policy many see as incoherent, China is steadily building influence by offering infrastructure, investment, and diplomatic attention to countries that feel ignored or pressured by the West. Pakistan’s decision to handle major economic and security conversations in Beijing instead of Washington reflects that shift in gravity, even if Islamabad still relies on Western financial institutions.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to Visit China Amid Reports Linking Trip to Iran War Diplomacy, Including Coordination Between Major Powers and Pakistan’s Mediation Efforts. pic.twitter.com/nJsBLFHIDD

— ME24 – Middle East 24 (@MiddleEast_24) May 21, 2026

The war in Iran is also a reminder of how quickly distant decisions can hit ordinary families. Instability near the Strait of Hormuz threatens oil and shipping routes that underpin already fragile supply chains and energy prices, after years of inflation and stagnant wages that many Americans blame on a disconnected political class.^[4] As China and Pakistan present themselves as problem-solvers, U.S. citizens see a federal government that often feels more focused on messaging battles than on protecting purchasing power or securing borders. Whether one views Beijing’s role as a threat or an alternative, the contrast exposes how far Washington’s credibility has fallen—and why so many voters feel that the people running the system, at home and abroad, are looking out for themselves first.