Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday reaffirmed the resolve to further deepen the neighboring nations’ cooperation across diverse domains, from political and security to economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, both leaders also reiterated the time-honored ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’ between Pakistan and China during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Their respective federal ministers and senior officials accompanied both leaders. The Prime Minister’s Office said the meeting reflected the traditional warmth of the ironclad friendship between Islamabad and Beijing, as well as the close strategic ties between the two countries.
Thanking President Xi for the warm and gracious welcome accorded to him and his delegation in China, the prime minister recalled Xi’s historic visit to Pakistan in 2015 to formally operationalize the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), marking a new chapter in the bilateral relationship. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including Afghanistan, Palestine and the wider South Asian region, including ongoing human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Both sides, per the statement, reiterated their longstanding support for each other’s issues of core interest.
Commending President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Sharif underscored the significant role played by CPEC, as a flagship project of BRI, in Pakistan’s socioeconomic development. Both leaders, read the statement, reaffirmed the consensus for high-quality development of CPEC and timely completion of major ongoing projects.
The prime minister underlined Pakistan’s commitment and full support for the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan. He also briefed Xi on Pakistan’s policies for economic reform and sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernization and regional connectivity. He underlined that the Pakistani government’s agenda for people-centric, socio-economic development resonates with the concept of ‘shared prosperity’ embraced by China.
After their meeting, the Chinese president hosted a banquet in honor of P.M. Sharif, where another round of discussion on different matters of mutual interests was held.