Beijing/Karachi, (Web Desk/Staff Reporter) Pakistan and China on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening their “ironS and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Both leaders described their bilateral ties as unique and unparalleled, with cooperation spanning trade, energy, defence, and infrastructure.
PM Shehbaz expressed Pakistan’s resolve to advance the next phase of the upgraded China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), featuring five new corridors. He lauded President Xi’s “visionary leadership,” congratulated him on the successful hosting of the SCO summit in Tianjin, and conveyed felicitations on the 80th anniversary of the World Anti-Fascist War. The prime minister also praised China’s unwavering support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and socio-economic development, calling CPEC the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Highlighting Beijing’s role in promoting multilateralism, PM Shehbaz endorsed China’s global initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilisation Initiative, saying these would contribute to peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
President Xi assured that China would continue to support Pakistan’s economic growth, particularly in the second phase of CPEC, which will focus on key development sectors. PM Shehbaz extended a “most cordial” invitation to President Xi to visit Pakistan next year, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
