Pakistan, China vow to push for more achievements in practical cooperation

APD NEWS

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Pakistani President Arif Alvi and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Islamabad on Tuesday, vowing to push for more achievements in bilateral practical cooperation.

Hailing the traditional friendship between the two countries, Alvi said that Pakistan hopes to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with China in automobile, textile, medicine, agriculture and information technology sectors.

Wang said that China is ready to advance cooperation with Pakistan in traditional areas while expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as information technology, e-commerce and digital economy.

China encourages more qualified Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Pakistan to help Pakistan enhance its capacity for independent development and explore a development path suited to its national conditions.

During the same day, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan also held talks with Wang and they reaffirmed bilateral relations and discussed issues involving Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Khan first welcomed Wang's attendance at the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It not only shows China's support to Pakistan but also the importance China attaches to Islamic countries, Khan said.

He also spoke highly of the increasingly close communication and ties between Pakistan and China and expressed a willingness to work together to promote cooperation in a variety of fields. The traditional friendship between Pakistan and China is not only the decision of the two governments, but also the choice of the two peoples, he stressed.

Wang first congratulated the prime minister for holding OIC meeting successfully. He said China is ready to expand practical cooperation in various fields, support Chinese enterprises in investing in Pakistan, and help Pakistan improve its capability for self-driven and sustainable development.

The two sides also fully affirmed the positive role of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue and the Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan.

Khan said that China-Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation is conducive to achieving stability in Afghanistan and promoting the country's pivotal role in regional connectivity.

Pakistan is willing to work with China to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative and promote the extension of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in Afghanistan, Khan said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian issue, calling for peace and dialogue. They also expressed concern over the spillover effects of unilateral sanctions.

Both sides believed that all parties must uphold international law and the purpose of the UN Charter and called for a ceasefire through diplomatic dialogue.

China and Pakistan hope that, based on the principle of indivisible security, a fundamental solution to the Ukrainian issue will be found to create a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture.

During his visit, Wang also held talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and attended Pakistan Day activities.

(CGTN)