ISLAMABAD: Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, in Beijing on Wednesday.
Noting China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad brothers, Ding said China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level strategic communication, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, coordinate development and security, deepen people-to-people ties, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and bring more benefits to the two peoples.
Dar said Pakistan attaches great importance to developing relations with China, firmly supports China’s core interests and major concerns, and is willing to comprehensively strengthen practical cooperation with China, promote the upgrading of bilateral cooperation and deepen the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
Meanwhile, China said on Wednesday that it firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs.
The remarks were expressed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi while co-chairing the fifth round of the Foreign Minister-Level China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing on Wednesday.
The two sides pledged to enhance pragmatic cooperation in various fields.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners.
Over the years, he said that Pakistan has firmly adhered to the one-China principle and offered China valuable support without reservation on issues concerning China’s core interests.
Wang said that China also firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs.
“It is believed that under the leadership of the new government, Pakistan will enter a new stage of political unity, social stability, controllable security and sustainable development,” he said.
China and Pakistan will support each other, share weal and woe, and work hand in hand to push China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, Wang added.
The Chinese foreign minister said that his country is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, pool efforts to promote the construction of an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and work together to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
In addition, China will not waver in its determination to deepen cooperation with Pakistan, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan and eliminate the worries of Chinese enterprises and personnel, he added.
The Pakistan-China friendship is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, Dar said, adding that Pakistan abides by the one-China principle, firmly supports China without hesitation on all issues concerning China’s core interests, and looks forward to further deepening bilateral practical cooperation in various fields.
He further said that Pakistan will do its utmost to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan.
He also thanked China for its consistent support on the Kashmir issue, saying it is crucial for resolving the dispute to bring peace in the region.
The two countries also agreed to continue their cooperation on issues related to regional security and stability.
