Beijing, 8 June 2024 (TDI): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a long and in-depth discussion in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at today’s historic Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The Federal Ministers and senior officials accompanied the two leaders. This was the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the President of China since assuming office in 2024. The meeting was marked by traditional warmth reflecting the ironclad friendship and close strategic ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister thanked President Xi Jinping for the warm and gracious welcome accorded to him and his delegation in China. He recalled the historic visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015 where the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was formally operationalized marking a new chapter in the bilateral relationship.
The two leaders reaffirmed the time-honored ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’. Both leaders showed optimism to deepen cooperation across diverse domains ranging from political and security to economic, trade, and people-to-people exchanges.
They also exchanged views on regional and global developments including Afghanistan, Palestine, and South Asia including the serious human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The two sides reiterated their longstanding support for each other’s issues of core interest.
Commending President Xi’s visionary Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Prime Minister underscored that as the flagship project of BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had significantly contributed to Pakistan’s socioeconomic development.
The two leaders reaffirmed the consensus for high-quality development of CPEC and timely completion of major ongoing projects. The two leaders affirmed consensus on the upgradation of CPEC and advancing high-quality development of CPEC in the second phase.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the high-quality development of CPEC and to foster synergy between the development strategies through close coordination.
He underlined Pakistan’s commitment and full support for the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
Also Read: Pakistan wins Membership of the UN Security Council
The Prime Minister briefed President Xi on Pakistan’s policies for economic reform and sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernization, regional connectivity, and the critical role played by CPEC in Pakistan’s development.
Moreover, He underlined that the Government’s agenda for people-centric, socio-economic development resonates with the concept of ‘shared prosperity’ embraced by China.
President Xi Jinping also hosted a banquet in honor of the Prime Minister, where another round of discussion on areas of mutual interest was held.
){kind=link}