China’s Premier Li begins Pakistan visit amid rare strains in relations 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at the Noor Khan military airbase near Islamabad, where he is greeted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Oct 14, 2024. (Courtesy: Prime Minister Sharif's office) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greets Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Noor Khan military airbase near Islamabad on Oct 14, 2024. (Courtesy: Prime Minister Sharif's office) FILE - Pakistani laborers walk through the Gwadar, Pakistan, port on Oct. 4, 2017.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang began a four-day visit to Pakistan on Monday under tight security for bilateral talks and to attend the heads of government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) hosted in Islamabad this week. Pakistan is on high alert after a recent increase in deadly insurgent attacks nationwide, including a suicide car bomb attack in Karachi last week that targeted a Chinese convoy and resulted in the deaths of two Chinese engineers.