Pakistan, April 24 -- Stretching back several decades, the bond between Beijing and Islamabad is both old and strong.

The same goes for the equation with the Sharif family, which forms the face of the coalition government. Between celebrating the "speed" of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif as Punjab's chief minister and metaphorically calling Pakistan the "home of my own brother" ahead of a visit during his party's last tenure, the Chinese leadership has always appeared willing to consider strategic partnerships under PML(N)'s watch.

Ergo, all attempts to play down the ongoing trip of supremo Nawaz Sharif as personal or low-profile by both the government and his party have done little to contain the curiosity. For every media claim regardi...