ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that Pakistan and China are “all-weather strategic cooperative partners”.
Qureshi made the comments while chairing a preparatory meeting with Pakistani ambassador to China via video conference with regards to the upcoming visit by Imran Khan to the country.
The premier is expected to visit China from November 2 to 5 to hold meetings with Chinese leadership in the country’s capital and participate as guest of honour at the First China International Import Expo in Shanghai.
The meeting chaired by the foreign minister discussed a range of issues and objectives with regards to the visit.
“The two countries are close friends, good neighbors and development partners. The bilateral relationship has withstood the test of times,” said Qureshi.
“Regardless of domestic or international changes this close friendship has served as a model of state to state relations for other countries,” he added.
CPEC CALLED ENGINE FOR GROWTH:
“Pakistan considers CPEC as an engine for growth, a catalyst for economic development and a platform for socio-economic uplift of the people of Pakistan. CPEC enjoys across the board political and institutional support in Pakistan,” the foreign minister said.
He opined that with the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the relationship between the two countries has strengthened.
“CPEC has added another important socio-economic development dimension to the bilateral relationship. The leadership of both countries has expressed strong desire and commitment to the successful implementation of CPEC,” he stated.
“The new government in Pakistan has pledged its complete support and commitment to the advancement of CPEC,” he clarified.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit China on his first official bilateral visit from November 2-5. During his visit, he will be meeting the Chinese leadership in Beijing and also visit Shanghai to participate in the First China International Import Expo as a guest of honour.
