BEIJING: Chinese media, while giving prominent coverage to Vice President Wang Qishan’s visit to Pakistan, said it was a manifestation of strong will existed on both sides taking their ever-green relations to new heights for mutual benefits of their people.
The visit took place at a time when the two countries were celebrating the 68th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. It has opened new avenues, further strengthening the exemplary relations existed between the two countries.
Wang Qishan held very productive meetings with President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on further strengthening their decades’ old relationship, as a strong ally in the region.
According to the Chinese print and electronic media, when meeting with the Pakistani president, Wang said China and Pakistan are “iron friends.” Throughout the past 68 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have always respected and supported each other on issues concerning each others’ core interests, forging the sincerest friendship.
In recent years, the development of China-Pakistan relations has kept a good momentum, with mutual political trust further enhanced, pragmatic cooperation continuously deepened and people-to-people exchanges growing more vigorous, Wang said.
He said the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has made concrete achievements and has become an important hallmark for China-Pakistan friendly cooperation in the new era, adding that his visit was meant for sending out a signal once more to peoples of the two countries and the world that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners.
Wang said China is willing to strengthen the all-around cooperation with Pakistan in various sectors and at various levels, so as to make the friendship better benefit the two sides and forge a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era.
For his part, President Arif Alvi extended congratulations to the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He expressed appreciation for China’s support to Pakistan and wished China to play a bigger role in international and regional affairs.
After their meeting, the Pakistani president conferred on Wang the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country’s highest award for foreign leaders.
While meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Wang said the two countries have reached important consensus with on further pushing forward the development of bilateral relations.
China is ready to join hands with Pakistan to deepen high-level exchanges, boost strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation as well as closely coordinate in international and regional affairs between the two sides, Wang said.
Wang called on the two sides to work for high-quality CPEC development in the next phase, and make concrete progress in industrial park building and agricultural cooperation.
China will speed up the implementation of social and people’s livelihood projects of the early harvest, and discuss the third-party cooperation in the CPEC development, he added.
The Chinese vice president called for strengthened people-to-people and cultural exchanges and collaboration so as to expand the public foundation for the China-Pakistan friendship.
Wang hoped that Pakistan will take effective measures to provide security guarantees for the cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.
During his stay in Pakistan, the Chinese vice president also met with local leaders of the Punjab province, addressed the Friends of Silk Road Forum and visited Haier-Ruba Economic Zone.