On Tuesday, Pakistan and China reiterated their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership in important domains such as investment, economics, and regional connectivity.
Yesterday marked the start of the Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang’s four-day bilateral visit to Pakistan. He is scheduled to attend the highly anticipated 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) on October 15 and 16, which is being held under strict security protocols.
Li is reportedly making his first visit to Pakistan as a Chinese premier in eleven years; Li Keqiang made the last visit in May 2013. His visit takes place one week after a huge explosion on October 6 near Jinnah International Airport left at least 11 people injured, including a Chinese national, and killed three people in total.
The Chinese would be directly in charge of the inquiry into the terror attack near the Karachi airport, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has promised.
PM Shehbaz and the Chinese premier met yesterday, during which Shehbaz declared the Gwadar International Airport a “gift” from the ally country.
The necessity of accelerating the execution of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects was also emphasized by both President Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their meeting at the president’s residence today.
Asserting that Pakistan’s friendship with its all-weather ally is a pillar of the nation’s foreign policy, President Zardari greeted the group.
In order to strengthen commerce and people-to-people ties, he emphasized the significance of looking into new areas for cooperation as there was more room to grow bilateral relations. He also emphasized the necessity to improve connectivity through all-weather road networks.
Chinese businesses should engage in the Pakistan Stock Exchange in order to take advantage of Pakistan’s economic possibilities, Zardari continued.
The President declared that the moment had come to take full advantage of China’s economic expansion, especially with the potential brought about by the CPEC and the Gwadar Port.
He said he would be going to China in November and that he was looking forward to seeing old friends again and having conversations to deepen bilateral relations.
In retrospect of his former postings, he observed that Pakistan has continuously benefited from China’s resolute backing on major matters of shared concern.
President Zardari sent his deepest sympathies for the tragic deaths of two Chinese nationals in a terrorist attack, saying that the whole country was terribly saddened by the terrible event.
He underlined that attempts to sabotage CPEC projects and target Chinese nationals are two ways that the adversaries of the relationship between Pakistan and China are trying to damage bilateral relations, but he also said that these nefarious schemes will fail.
In addition to assuring the Chinese premier that Pakistan will take all necessary steps to improve the security of Chinese nationals working in the nation, he reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to finding the offenders and making sure they face harsh punishment.
Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, expressed gratitude to China for supporting Pakistan in the India-held Kashmir dispute and reiterated support for China on all of its fundamental issues, including One China.
The South China Sea, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
Premier Li Qiang spoke at the event and reiterated that China and Pakistan were excellent neighbors, friends, and brothers. He emphasized that under President Xi Jinping’s direction, strategic cooperation between Pakistan and China would continue to grow.
He praised President Zardari’s efforts to forge closer ties between China and Pakistan. Premier Li emphasized that both countries have continuously stood by one another in the face of international difficulties and expressed confidence that they would work together to grow their alliance.
The prime minister emphasized the necessity of quickening the development projects under CPEC’s advancement. He emphasized that China would keep encouraging its businesses to make investments in Pakistan. Additionally, he was upbeat about the prospects for Pakistan-China relations and predicted that they would only become better.
The Premier of China expressed gratitude to Pakistan for Pakistan’s unwavering support of China on all of its fundamental problems and pledged China’s continued support for Pakistan’s prosperity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.
The Chinese Premier and his delegation were honored with a state dinner later by the president.
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