- Foreign Ministry spokesperson says Pakistan, China to support each other more firmly
BEIJING: China on Monday termed the recently concluded visit of its Minister for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi to Pakistan as highly productive.
Commenting on the visit during a regular news briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that Pakistan and China would more firmly support each other. Politically, the two sides will further deepen strategic mutual trust, strengthen strategic communication, and more firmly support each other’s core and major interests, and communicate and coordinate more closely on major issues of common concern.
“Not long ago, Pakistan successfully completed the election process and produced a new government. The foreign minister’s visit to Pakistan was mainly aimed at comprehensively docking with the new government, enhancing cooperation in various fields and making good strides for China-Pakistan relations under the new situation,” the spokesperson said.
During the visit, Wang Yi met with President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, National Assembly Speaker Assad Qaiser and military leaders, and held talks with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on all-weather strategic partnership between Islamabad and Beijing and issues of common concern and reached consensus.
Economically, the two sides will focus on people’s livelihood and strengthen development cooperation. China will tilt its aid to Pakistan to the areas of agriculture, education, healthcare, drinking water and other areas of people’s livelihood, so that more people can receive tangible benefits and well-being. The two sides will better promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
At the same time, according to the next economic and social development priorities of Pakistan and the needs of the people, the future development path and cooperation direction of the corridor will be determined through consultation. In terms of safety, the two sides decided to strengthen defence and security cooperation. “We will promote exchanges between the military and law enforcement agencies of the two countries and resolutely crack down on the terrorist forces.”
China will support the Pakistani side to continue to firmly fight terrorism in accordance with its national conditions. The new government has repeatedly stressed that it will continue to regard relations with China as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. China has also continued to place Pakistan in the priority position of China’s foreign policy and neighbouring diplomacy.
China is willing to work with the new government to make China-Pakistan relations a model of good neighbourliness and friendship, a pillar of regional peace and stability, and a benchmark for building the Belt Road Initiative. The achievements made by both the sides in promoting the construction of the CPEC are obvious to all.