Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on his election as Pakistani prime minister. 

In his message, Li described China and Pakistan as "unparalleled all-weather strategic cooperative partners," hailing the "rock-solid" and "unbreakable" relations and friendship between the two countries. 

Facing profound and complicated changes in international and regional situations and prolonged impacts of COVID-19, China and Pakistan have been supporting each other to overcome challenges together, with their "ironclad" friendship further enhanced, he said. 

Li said he looks forward to making joint efforts with Sharif to carry on the traditional friendship between the two countries, consolidate political mutual trust, build a high-quality China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and deepen and expand all-round practical cooperation.  

He expressed readiness to work with Sharif to forge an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. This will not only benefit the people in China and Pakistan, but also contribute to regional and global stability and development, he added. 

The Chinese premier said he is confident that Pakistan will make new achievements in promoting the stability, development and progress of the country. 

Sharif, a brother of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, took the oath as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday.