PM Shehbaz reaffirms ‘iron-clad’ Pak-China partnership in meeting with CPC vice minister

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s “iron-clad” all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China during a meeting with Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Sun Haiyan at the Prime Minister’s House.

The prime minister welcomed the Chinese dignitary and her delegation, noting that the visit was taking place as Pakistan and China mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

He said the year had begun with high-level engagements, including the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing and the interior minister’s visit to Shanghai, with the speaker of the National Assembly also expected to visit China in the coming days.

Shehbaz Sharif conveyed his warm greetings to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the One China Policy.

He lauded China’s continued support for Pakistan, particularly under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and stressed the need for the timely implementation of the next phase of CPEC projects.

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The prime minister also reiterated his cordial invitation to President Xi Jinping to undertake an official visit to Pakistan this year, describing it as a milestone year for bilateral ties.

Sun Haiyan thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome and said China remained committed to further strengthening its long-standing and time-tested relations with Pakistan across all fields. She congratulated the prime minister on bringing economic and political stability to the country and said the Chinese nation took pride in Pakistan’s diplomatic achievements.

She also briefed the prime minister on the strong party-to-party ties between the Communist Party of China and a wide range of political parties in Pakistan, and appreciated his leadership role in fostering political unity for effective governance.

Earlier, Vice Minister Sun Haiyan also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, with the two sides discussing Pakistan-China relations, the regional situation, and ways to enhance inter-party cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.