Xi Jinping hails China-Pakistan ties in talks with Shehbaz Sharif

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday spoke highly of China-Pakistan relations and called for more efforts to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing.

China and Pakistan are good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, good friends who share faith and righteousness, good partners who help each other, and good brothers who share weal and woe, Xi said.

The China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has continuously deepened, and enjoys solid public support with a strong internal driving force and broad prospects for development, he said.

Xi said China stands ready to work with Pakistan to firmly support each other, strengthen cooperation, deepen strategic coordination, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The key to the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan lies in the fact that both sides have always understood, trusted and supported each other, Xi stressed.

He thanked the Pakistani side for its long-standing and firm support on issues related to China's core interests and major concerns.

China will, as always, firmly support the Pakistani side in defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, taking the path of development in line with its own national conditions, and combating terrorism, said Xi.

He said China is ready to promote the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Pakistan's development plans, and carry out cooperation in agriculture, mining, society and livelihood issues in accordance with local conditions.

China is willing to create an upgraded version of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and build a growth corridor, a livelihood-enhancing corridor, an innovation corridor, a green corridor and an open corridor with Pakistan, so as to promote high-quality CPEC construction and help with Pakistan's economic and social development, said Xi.

The Chinese president expressed hope that Pakistan will create a safe, stable and predictable business environment, and effectively guarantee the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and organizations in Pakistan.

China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Pakistan within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said Xi.

The two countries should promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, focus on the agenda of development, address security challenges, and improve global governance to safeguard the common interests of the developing countries as well as international fairness and justice, he added.

Shehbaz, for his part, said Pakistan highly appreciates and fully supports the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi.

These initiatives provide strategic guidance for resolving the problems facing the world today and promoting the building of a more peaceful and better world, he said.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has vigorously promoted Pakistan's national development and delivered real benefits to the Pakistani people, said Shehbaz.

Pakistan will learn from China's experience in governance, continue to build high-quality Belt and Road projects with China, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, he said.

Shehbaz said the Pakistani government once again expresses condolences for the deaths of Chinese citizens in the Dasu terrorist attack in March, and will resolutely crack down on and severely punish the terrorists involved, and take practical and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and organizations in Pakistan.

"I would like to reiterate that no force can stop China's development and growth, and no force can shake the ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China," he said. The Pakistani side will always be China's most reliable friend and partner, he added.

Shehbaz said the one-China principle is the unwavering commitment of the Pakistani government, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.

Pakistan will continue to support China's position on all issues concerning its core interest, including those related to the Taiwan region, Xizang, Xinjiang and the South China Sea, he said.