Chinese Premier and Pakistani PM Hold Talks to Enhance Strategic Partnership

Beijing, The Gulf Observer: Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held extensive talks in Beijing on Friday, with a mutual commitment to enhancing their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to achieve more fruitful results.

Premier Li emphasized China’s prioritization of Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy, expressing readiness to deepen the traditional friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Li highlighted the aim to accelerate the construction of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, bringing greater benefits to both peoples.

China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as in achieving unity, stability, security, and prosperity, Li stated. He expressed China’s willingness to synergize development strategies with Pakistan, focusing on upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), advancing key projects, and expanding trade and investment cooperation.

Premier Li noted that China is keen to import more quality products from Pakistan and supports competent Chinese enterprises in investing in Pakistan. Furthermore, China will continue to assist Pakistan in improving its people’s livelihoods and post-disaster reconstruction, and will foster exchanges in culture, tourism, local governance, and think tanks to bolster the China-Pakistan friendship.

China also aims to enhance bilateral and multilateral counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan, supporting its counterterrorism capacity-building. Premier Li stressed the importance of Pakistan ensuring the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions within its borders.

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed profound gratitude to China for its significant contributions to Pakistan’s economic and social development, acknowledging China as Pakistan’s most reliable partner. He reiterated Pakistan’s firm support for China’s positions on Taiwan, Xizang, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea, backing China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Prime Minister Shehbaz underscored Pakistan’s willingness to advance CPEC construction under the Belt and Road framework and strengthen cooperation in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, and culture. He expressed hopes for more fruitful outcomes from the strategic partnership and the shared future initiative.

Shehbaz also expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of Chinese citizens in a terrorist attack at the Dasu Hydropower Station, committing Pakistan to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions, and to defeat any threats to the Pakistan-China friendship.

Following their discussions, Premier Li and Prime Minister Shehbaz attended a signing ceremony for several bilateral cooperation documents in fields such as transport, industry, agriculture, market regulation, livelihoods, capacity-building, and film and television.