Pakista’s New Envoy to China to Deepen Cooperation

• Asad Gillani is a veteran diplomat with nearly 30 years of service, he takes charge in Beijing,China,  at a time when Islamabad and China are further deepening strategic ties ahead of the SCO summit in Bishkek

• Syed Ali Asad Gillani replaces Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, who has completes his three-year tenure in Beijing,China.

By: Muhammad Arif, Editor NSN.Asia

ISLAMABAD, JUL 26 /NSN/ — Pakistan has appointed seasoned diplomat Ambassador Syed Ali Asad Gillani as its new envoy to China, a move that comes at a pivotal moment as Islamabad and Beijing work to deepen strategic cooperation across diplomacy, defence, trade and regional connectivity.

Pakistan names Syed Ali Asad Gillani as an Envoy To China NSN Asia 2026The appointment places Gillani at the helm of one of Pakistan’s most consequential diplomatic postings, replacing Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, who is expected to return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad after completing his three-year tenure in Beijing.

• A Career Diplomat with Deep China Experience

Gillani brings nearly three decades of diplomatic service to the role. He joined Pakistan’s Foreign Service in the 1990s and has since built an extensive career spanning postings across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Notably, his relationship with China is not new — it stretches back more than twenty years to when he served as Third Secretary at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, giving him firsthand familiarity with the bilateral relationship he will now help steer at the ambassadorial level.

Most recently, Gillani held senior leadership positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as Additional Secretary with oversight of key regional diplomatic affairs. He simultaneously served as Director General of the Foreign Service Academy, Pakistan’s premier institution for training career diplomats — a dual role that underscores his standing within the foreign policy establishment.

His academic credentials complement his field experience. Gillani holds a PhD in International Relations from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Türkiye, giving him a scholarly grounding in the discipline alongside decades of practical diplomatic work.

• A Wide-Ranging Diplomatic Career

Over nearly 30 years in the Foreign Service, Gillani has held a series of high-profile overseas and domestic assignments. His overseas postings include:

• Beijing — Third Secretary
• Geneva — First Secretary
• Tokyo — Counsellor
• Ankara — Minister and Deputy Head of Mission
• Uzbekistan — Pakistan’s Ambassador

During his tenure as Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Gillani played an active role in strengthening bilateral relations, promoting trade and regional connectivity, engaging with the Pakistani diaspora, and participating in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) activities — experience that is likely to prove valuable given the SCO’s growing role in regional diplomacy.

At the Foreign Office headquarters in Islamabad, Gillani has also held a range of important positions, including Section Officer, Deputy Director, Director, and Deputy Chief of Protocol, along with senior roles covering political affairs, human resources and multilateral diplomacy.

• Taking Charge at a Critical Moment for Pakistan-China Ties

Gillani steps into his new role in Beijing at what officials describe as a crucial juncture for bilateral relations. China remains Pakistan’s largest strategic partner, with cooperation extending well beyond traditional diplomacy into defence collaboration, infrastructure development, energy projects, trade, technology, investment and regional security.

The appointment comes as Pakistan and China continue to expand collaboration under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship connectivity and infrastructure initiative that has anchored bilateral economic ties for over a decade. Both countries have also been working to strengthen defence cooperation and coordinate closely on regional and global issues amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.

Gillani’s tenure begins ahead of the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, scheduled to take place in Bishkek on September 1, 2026 — a summit that will bring together SCO leaders, including from China and Pakistan, to discuss regional security, economic cooperation and connectivity issues. Given Gillani’s prior direct engagement with SCO activities during his posting in Uzbekistan, his appointment is seen as well-timed for a period in which multilateral platforms like the SCO are expected to feature prominently in Pakistan-China engagement.

Ambassador Khalil Hashmi assumed his responsibilities as Pakistan’s envoy to the People’s Republic of China on November 11, 2023. Prior to that appointment, he served as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and other International Organizations, as well as to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, from November 2019 to November 2023.

Hashmi’s earlier career includes service as Director General for the United Nations, the European Region, and Arms Control, as well as Director for Disarmament Affairs covering India and the South Asian region at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His diplomatic postings have taken him to Pakistan’s embassies in Copenhagen (1999–2002) and Beijing (2008–2010). He also served twice at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations in New York, first from 2004 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2016, including a stint as Deputy Permanent Representative.

Hashmi joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1994. Over his career, he has worked extensively on arms control, counter-terrorism, human rights and climate change issues, and has attended numerous international conferences, chaired multilateral meetings, and taken part in a wide range of bilateral and multilateral negotiations. He is expected to take up a new assignment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Islamabad following his return from Beijing.

• What the Appointment Signals

Analysts of Pakistan-China relations note that ambassadorial appointments to Beijing are typically closely watched, given the depth and sensitivity of the relationship. Gillani’s combination of early-career China experience, senior policy oversight roles, academic credentials and multilateral exposure through the SCO positions him to manage an increasingly complex bilateral agenda — one that spans economic corridor development, security cooperation, and coordination on regional diplomacy in forums such as the SCO.

With the Bishkek summit approaching in September 2026, Gillani’s early months in Beijing are likely to be shaped in part by preparations for that meeting, alongside the ongoing work of deepening CPEC-related cooperation and managing the broader strategic partnership between the two countries.

This report is based on official statements regarding the appointment. — NSN.Asia