China and Pakistan agreed on Tuesday to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies and deepen cooperation.
The pledge was made during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the United Nations headquarters.
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, Wang said it is an opportune time to revisit the original aspirations behind its establishment, to practice and promote multilateralism, and to reform and improve global governance.
In response to the current deficits in peace, development, security, and governance faced by the international community, China proposed the convening of this high-level meeting of the Security Council, aiming to gather broader international consensus and formulate a collective approach to address these challenges, Wang said.
China is willing to work together with the international community, including Pakistan, to jointly drive the meeting towards achieving positive outcomes and to accelerate the establishment of a just and equitable global governance system, he said.
Noting that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and the two sides have always trusted and supported each other, the Chinese foreign minister said Pakistan has been a high priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy.
China will continue to stand firm for justice and speak up for Pakistan on international issues, strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Pakistan, and deepen cooperation particularly in agricultural modernization and industrialization to help Pakistan enhance its capacity for independent development, Wang said.
It is hoped that the Pakistani side will take effective measures to earnestly ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan, he said.
For his part, Dar said President Asif Ali Zardari's recent visit to China was a great success, elevating the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China to new heights, with efficient progress in cooperation across various fields. Pakistan looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges and deepening developmental alignment with China.
Pakistan attaches great importance to and will spare no effort in ensuring the safety of Chinese institutions and brothers and sisters in Pakistan, he said.
Under the current circumstances, it is timely for China to initiate this high-level meeting and Pakistan appreciates China's leadership in the global agenda, and will continue to work closely with China, offering mutual support, Dar said.
China, Pakistan pledge to strengthen alignment of development strategies
