Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday hailed the high-level strategic coordination and solid mutual trust between China and Pakistan when meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The two officials met in Tunxi, east China’s Anhui Province. The Pakistani diplomat came earlier in the day for the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, which is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Facing complicated and volatile international and regional situations, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has withstood the test, Wang said, adding that China will continue to view and promote China-Pakistan relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.
As always, China will support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and be Pakistan’s most reliable partner and strongest backer, he added.
For his part, Qureshi spoke highly of Wang’s attendance at the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), saying that leaders of Islamic countries are all welcoming to lift their relationships with China.
Pakistan and China have shared weal and woe, and supported each other, he said.
The strong friendship between the two countries is the foundation for the bilateral relationship, he stressed.
The Pakistani side is willing to continue to maintain good communication with the Chinese side and firmly support each other in safeguarding their core interests, he added.
Stance on Ukraine
The two officials also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, where Qureshi expressed concerns over the multidimensional challenges posed to developing countries.
He called to solve the crisis through diplomatic means, while advocating the international law and principles of the UN Charter.
Wang reiterated China’s position, urging dialogues and restoring peace. Under the current situation, we must be especially alert to the negative impact of the spillover from the Ukraine crisis, Wang said.
We cannot allow the Cold War mentality to resurface in Asia, nor allow “camp confrontation” to repeat, nor allow small and medium-sized countries in the region to become tools or even victims of the game between great powers, Wang pointed out.
China is willing to work with Pakistan and neighboring countries to play a constructive role in regional peace, and world peace and stability at large, Wang said.
