BEIJING: China is willing to cooperate with Pakistan in industry, agriculture and mining, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Thursday, according to a readout of the meeting released by Wang’s ministry.
Beijing would continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and combating terrorism, Wang told Dar, adding that China would continue to give priority to Pakistan in its regional diplomacy.
Both countries should join hands to safeguard the multilateral trading system and oppose unilateral bullying, and upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said.
Pakistan, China pledge to uphold friendship for regional peace, stability
Wang, on a five-day tour of South Asia, has visited India and Afghanistan, mending and consolidating ties with China’s neighbours to the south days before a leaders’ summit in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to China - his first visit in seven years - to attend the summit.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Wang also welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to attend both the summit and activities to mark the formal surrender of Japan at the end of World War Two, which will feature a massive military parade in Beijing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend the parade in the Chinese capital on September 3.
During Thursday’s meeting with Dar, Wang again urged Pakistan to “effectively safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and organisations in Pakistan”.
Over the years China has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects in Pakistan under the Belt and Road Initiative.
But security concerns have mounted, with Chinese workers repeatedly targeted in what Beijing has called terrorist attacks in the South Asian nation.
“China appreciates Pakistan’s unremitting efforts and great sacrifices made in combating terrorism,” Wang said, according to a Chinese ministry statement.
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