Pakistan’s powerful army chief General Asim Munir has arrived in Washington for a five-day official visit aimed at reinforcing military and economic ties with the United States, even as Islamabad deepens its strategic relationship with Beijing, according to a report by the Financial Times.
General Munir, widely regarded as Pakistan’s most influential figure, is set to meet with top US officials including a scheduled lunch with President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The visit comes despite India’s diplomatic push to isolate Munir following deadly clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces last month.
This trip, Munir’s second to the US since becoming army chief in 2022, highlights a subtle warming of relations between Washington and Islamabad under Trump. During his first term, Trump had suspended military aid to Pakistan over accusations of harboring terrorists in Afghanistan, but he recently praised Pakistan’s “very, very strong leadership.”
The Pentagon has echoed this shift. General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, lauded what he described as a “phenomenal partnership” with Pakistan’s military in the fight against the Islamic State’s Afghanistan-based affiliate, ISIS-K. Trump also publicly thanked Pakistan for handing over a suspected ISIS-K militant involved in the 2021 bombing that killed 13 US marines during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Even as India accuses Pakistan of being a terror sponsor, the US military still sees counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan as vital,” said Christopher Clary, a South Asia expert at the University at Albany, speaking to the Financial Times.
Despite this renewed engagement, Washington remains cautious of Pakistan’s growing alignment with China, its primary defense supplier. Islamabad recently signaled a major weapons acquisition from Beijing, involving up to 40 J-35 stealth fighter jets and advanced air defense systems. Though a government post confirming the deal was deleted from social media, senior military sources suggest deliveries could begin by 2026.
Such an acquisition would mark the first deployment of fifth-generation fighters in South Asia. India’s counterpart program, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, remains in early prototype stages, likely years from operational status.
The deal reflects what analysts describe as an exceptionally close military partnership between Beijing and Islamabad. “Pakistan became a showcase of not just Chinese equipment, but also the deepest defence relationship that exists between Beijing and any other country,” said Andrew Small, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund and author of The China-Pakistan Axis, as quoted by the Financial Times.
Meanwhile, despite attacks on Chinese workers and delays in projects such as the Gwadar port, China remains committed to bolstering Pakistan’s military as a counterweight to India. “In Beijing’s view, between India and Pakistan, parity brings stability and disparity brings instability,” said Yun Sun, director of the East Asia program at the Stimson Center.
Former Pakistani ambassador Maleeha Lodhi stressed that while Islamabad values its US ties, its strategic priorities lie with Beijing. “There is no equivalence in Pakistan’s relations with the US and China. Pakistan’s strategic priority is its ties with China,” she told the Financial Times.
Nonetheless, Islamabad is making efforts to maintain relations with both superpowers. Munir’s visit comes at a time when Pakistan is seeking US support to avoid punitive tariffs of up to 29 percent on its exports and to shore up its $7 billion IMF program.
On Monday, Munir addressed members of the Pakistani diaspora in Washington, emphasizing economic collaboration. He reportedly highlighted opportunities for US investment in Pakistan’s untapped mineral resources, suggesting American firms could earn up to $15 billion annually over the next century.
In a gesture of goodwill, Pakistani officials credited President Trump for brokering the ceasefire that ended May’s deadly skirmishes with India and welcomed his renewed interest in mediating the Kashmir conflict.
Now elevated to the rarely awarded rank of field marshal following last month’s fighting with India, Munir appears determined to balance Pakistan’s historical ties with Washington against its increasingly entrenched relationship with Beijing — a geopolitical act watched closely by all sides.
