Chinese President Hails 'Unbreakable' Pakistan Ties, Praises Iran Peace Efforts

EPA

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed China's "unbreakable" ‌friendship with Pakistan on Monday as he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing, seeking to deepen their "all-weather" partnership.

President Xi welcomed the Pakistani leader as an "old friend" at Beijing's Great Hall of the People and said the two countries had "understood, trusted and supported each other" over decades.

"No matter how the international situation changes, China always prioritises the development of China-Pakistan relations in its neighbourhood diplomacy," President Xi said.

China called for enhancing cooperation in agriculture, industry, artificial intelligence and talent cultivation with Pakistan, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said.

Beijing was willing to work with Islamabad to build a closer-knit China-Pakistan community with a shared future, CCTV reported, adding that the Chinese leader emphasised maintaining high-level exchanges and strengthening strategic communication.

PM Sharif, ‌in turn, ⁠called China and Pakistan two "iron brother" countries with a relationship that is "next to none".

PM Sharif was accompanied by Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, who was recently in Tehran for meetings with Iran's leadership.

"I know that you have just returned from Iran and made positive efforts for the current peace. We still appreciate the constructive role played by Pakistan," President Xi said.

Both countries ⁠should carry out higher-level and broader security cooperation to help regional peace and stability, CCTV cited President Xi as saying, without referring to a specific conflict.

Pakistan is regarded by China as one of its few “all-weather strategic partners”, reflecting close cooperation in the fields of trade, the economy, infrastructure, and security. However, militant attacks targeting Chinese nationals and projects in southwestern Pakistan — where China has invested heavily in infrastructure development — have increasingly become a source of concern for Beijing. At the same time, Islamabad’s warming relations with United States have added further complexity to the relationship between the two countries.

After a rickety ceasefire in the Iran conflict, achieved in April, Pakistan hosted mediation talks between Washington and Tehran, relaying proposals and missives between them. Weeks ⁠into Islamabad's diplomatic efforts, Washington has reported progress in negotiations with Tehran.

For Pakistan, engaging China in its mediation efforts is important ⁠given Beijing and Tehran's close ties. China and Pakistan issued an initiative in March as their foreign ministers met in Beijing, calling for peace talks and restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Reuters



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