Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a long and in-depth discussion in a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing today.
This was the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the President of China since assuming office in 2024. The premier President Xi 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.
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, 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 of the two countries through close coordination. He underlined Pakistan’s commitment and full support for the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.
The prime minister briefed President Xi on Pakistan’s policies for economic reform and sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernization, and regional connectivity and the critical role played by CPEC in Pakistan’s development. He underlined that the government’s agenda for people-centric, socio-economic development resonates with the concept of ‘shared prosperity’ embraced by China.
The two leaders 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.
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