ISLAMABAD: China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, expressed his country’s awareness of Pakistan’s economic difficulties and stated that it is a priority for China to help Islamabad.
He made these remarks during a meeting with President Dr Arif Alvi, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to working together to promote regional peace and prosperity and jointly cope with external challenges.
The two sides emphasized the need to further advance and deepen bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economy, culture, and defense for mutual benefit. They also called for increasing bilateral exchanges, people-to-people contacts, and cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism to further cement bilateral ties.
President Alvi highlighted the importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Gwadar port in promoting bilateral trade and enhancing regional trade and connectivity. He expressed optimism that the recent opening of Khunjerab Pass would facilitate the movement of goods from Xinjiang to Gwadar and vice versa.
The president also emphasized the need to increase economic and commercial cooperation, particularly in the IT and agriculture sectors, and called on Chinese investors to benefit from Pakistan’s business and investment-friendly policies.
The president expressed concern over India’s planned holding of G-20 Summit events in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and termed it an attempt to divert the world’s attention from the ground realities and India’s atrocities against the people of IIOJK. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for China on all its core issues, including the “One-China policy,” Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea.
Chinese FM Qin Gang stated that China and Pakistan were all-weather friends and the friendship between the two countries was “as solid as a rock.” He emphasized the need to further fortify and strengthen bilateral cooperation to meet emerging regional and international challenges. He called for advancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, especially on projects of strategic importance.
Overall, the meeting between the two sides highlighted the strong ties between China and Pakistan and their commitment to deepening their cooperation in various areas for mutual benefit.
