Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday met Chinese Premier Li Qiang wherein the two countries agreed to maintain close coordination, accelerate implementation of agreed projects and carry forward the Pakistan-China partnership into a new phase of practical, results-oriented and high-quality cooperation.
During the meeting held in the backdrop of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, both leaders reiterated their support on all issues of core interests to both countries.
The prime minister, who is on a four-day official visit to China from May 23-26, emphasized that the 75th anniversary should be used to translate the historic goodwill between Pakistan and China into practical, people-centred and future-oriented outcomes.
He underlined the importance of regular high-level exchanges and close coordination in carrying forward the bilateral partnership.
He thanked Premier Li Qiang for the warm reception and reaffirmed that the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He said that the iron-clad friendship between the two countries was rooted in mutual trust, strategic confidence and shared commitment to peace, development and prosperity.
Reiterating their support on all issues of core interests to both countries, they agreed that CPEC had played a transformative role in the socioeconomic development of Pakistan and looked forward to implementation of the next phase of CPEC.
The two leaders reviewed the whole spectrum of Pakistan-China relations and expressed satisfaction at the steady growth of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, strategic, security and people-to-people domains.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that the 75th anniversary should be used to translate the historic goodwill between Pakistan and China into practical, people-centred and future-oriented outcomes.
He underlined the importance of regular high-level exchanges and close coordination in carrying forward the bilateral partnership.
The prime minister underscored Pakistan’s commitment to high-quality development of CPEC and its next phase, with focus on industrialization, connectivity, agriculture, science and technology, digital transformation, clean energy and socio-economic development.
He highlighted the importance of building synergies between China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Pakistan’s development framework, Uraan Pakistan, to accelerate Pakistan’s development priorities and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated China’s consistent support to Pakistan’s national development and economic stability, reaffirming Pakistan’s firm resolve to ensure foolproof security of Chinese nationals, institutions and projects in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of enhanced cooperation in emerging sectors, including space, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, noting that the selection of Pakistani astronauts for China’s space station programme reflected the growing depth of Pakistan-China cooperation in new and strategic domains.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar, Minister for IT Shaza Fatema Khawaja, Minister For Railways Hanif Abbasi, Advisor to Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi and were also present in the meeting.
