Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's official visit to China is an important high-level exchange that consolidates and elevates the special friendship between the two countries as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Mao outlined three major highlights of Shehbaz's visit from Saturday to Tuesday.
"First, head of state diplomacy steers the course, underscoring the strategic significance of China-Pakistan relations. Over the 75 years since diplomatic ties were forged, the two countries have embraced mutual understanding, trust and support, forging an unbreakable traditional friendship," said Mao.
During the visit, President Xi Jinping held in-depth discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two leaders agreed to deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, and firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests, providing political guidance and strong impetus for bilateral relations, she continued.
"Second, pragmatic cooperation underpins the bond, demonstrating the mutually beneficial nature of China-Pakistan relations. The two leaders agreed to steadily advance the Action Plan to Foster an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era, accelerate the development of the CPEC 2.0, forge an upgraded bilateral free trade agreement, and explore cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital economy, agriculture and other fields. These efforts will deliver more fruits of all-weather cooperation, better benefit the two peoples, and set an example for building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries. The two sides signed multiple cooperation documents covering economy and trade, science and technology, agriculture and food, human resources and other areas," said Mao.
The last highlight is that international coordination enriches the ties, showcasing the leading role of China-Pakistan relations, the spokeswoman said.
"During the visit, the two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on international and regional issues of mutual interest. The Pakistani side expressed support for President Xi Jinping’s four propositions on the situation in the Middle East. The Chinese side commended Pakistan for demonstrating a proactive spirit and mediating for peace in the Middle East. The two sides agreed to firmly defend the outcomes of WWII victory, oppose any attempt to revitalize fascism and militarism, and jointly uphold the postwar international order, world peace and security, as well as historical truth and international justice," said Mao.
The world is experiencing accelerating transformations unseen in a century. China and Pakistan have come to new junctures and face important opportunities for their respective modernization and bilateral cooperation in various fields. As the two countries mark 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, China stands ready to work with Pakistan to deepen high-level political mutual trust, practical cooperation, security cooperation and international coordination to write a new chapter for China-Pakistan relations, said Mao.
Pakistani PM's visit consolidates, elevates special friendship between China, Pakistan: spokeswoman
