- Nawaz stresses close cooperation between Pakistani, Chinese parliaments
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday appreciated China’s diplomatic and material support to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.
He was talking to a high-level Chinese delegation led by China’s Peoples’ Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Chairman Yu Zhengsheng here at the PM House. Welcoming the delegation, the prime minister stated that the visit would establish institutional linkages between the parliaments of Pakistan and China.
He stressed close cooperation between the two parliaments, which would contribute towards further strengthening the warm and friendly relations between Pakistan and China. He recalled that the relations between the two countries were raised to an even higher level of ‘all weather cooperative strategic partnership,’ during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015.
“I am looking forward to my visit to China in May 2017 to participate in the Belt and Road Forum at the invitation of President Xi Jinping,” he said. He also said that the forum would provide an excellent opportunity for discussing important areas of connectivity, infrastructure, trade, finance, people-to-people exchanges and think-tanks cooperation, not only between Pakistan and China but with the wider world.
Prime Minister Nawaz emphasised that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its related projects symbolise the people-centric approach of the two countries and their resolve for regional connectivity. “The project has immense potential to boost up regional trade and businesses as well as bring the people of the region closer. Millions of people in our region would reap the benefits of this project,” he said.
On the occasion, Zhengsheng thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome, accorded by Pakistan to him and his delegation. He expressed the hope that the parliamentary exchanges between Pakistan and China would further strengthen the brotherly relations. The meeting was also attended by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Adviser Sartaj Aziz, Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Senator Saleem H Mandviwala and other senior officials.
The delegation also called on President Mamnoon Hussain at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, and appreciated that Pakistan being a strategically important country was playing an important role in the region. Zhengsheng stated that Pakistan and China desired to involve the whole world in the process of progress and those countries would soon be left alone which ignored the international community for their vested interests.
President Mamnoon said that friendship between Pakistan and China would ensure peace in the region. Timely completion and implementation of projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would bring in an era of prosperity and progress not only in Pakistan but the whole region, he said.
The president said that there was unanimity in Pakistan that CPEC would not only improve the economic condition of the country but also benefit the whole region. He noted that other countries had also evinced keen interest in linking up with CPEC to reap dividends from this mega project. He said that the whole world was now acknowledging China’s vision of One Belt-One Road.
Chairman Zhengsheng said that Pakistan and China were iron brothers who shared unanimity of views on major regional and international issues. He also expressed satisfaction at the pace of work on CPEC projects. The president also extended his best wishes for the leadership and people of China on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan.
The Chinese delegation included CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairwoman Lin Wenyi, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Zhang Qingli, Sun Gan, Wang Taihua, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Liu Zhenmin.