BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that as a landmark project under the BRI, the CPEC is of great importance to promoting in-depth development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and forging a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a verbal message to Pakistani President Arif Alvi. Xi said he appreciates the fact that Alvi sent a congratulatory letter to the opening of the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, which fully demonstrated that Alvi attaches great importance to and supports the China-Pakistan relationship and construction of the CPEC.

China and Pakistan are good brothers and partners who share special friendship, Xi said, adding that political parties from both sides often carry out friendly consultations and constantly build political consensus, which is conducive to steadily advancing the construction of the CPEC as well as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the global fight has fully demonstrated that mutual support, solidarity and cooperation present a sure way for humanity to defeat this novel coronavirus, Xi said. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, jointly promote regional solidarity and cooperation, and safeguard the good momentum of peace and development in the region.