Pak-China relations further strengthened

Few relationships in the history of international relations have endured so long as that between Pakistan and China, and even fewer have been described as “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans”. This description of the all-weather friendship is not just rhetoric; it is based on shared principles and interests, and forms the foundation of cooperation in diverse fields. During his four-day visit to China, Prime Minister Imran Khan met President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang. He discussed matters of mutual interest and sought Beijing assistance in tackling financial crisis. Reviewing with satisfaction the historical development of China-Pakistan relations and the great strides made both sides in the joint statement agreed to further strengthen the China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership in line with the principles set forth by the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good-neighborly Relations signed in 2005.
The Chinese side reiterated that China’s relationship with Pakistan is always a matter of highest priority in its foreign policy. China appreciated the consistent and strong support by Pakistan to China’s issues of core interest, and reaffirmed its support and solidarity with Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and security. It appreciated Pakistan’s important role in promoting regional peace, stability and security and efforts for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues with its neighbors. The Pakistani side stressed that Pakistan-China relationship is the cornerstone of its foreign policy, and friendship with China represents national consensus and the common desire of all Pakistani people. Pakistan appreciated the strong support and assistance provided by the government and people of China to Pakistan in its economic development. It unequivocally upholds the one-China policy and supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to realize national reunification.
Prime Minister Imran Khan commended President Xi Jinping’s visionary Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that aims at enhancing regional and international connectivity. The two sides reiterated that BRI represents a win-win model of international cooperation and provides new opportunities for economic rejuvenation and prosperity of all countries. As a signature project of BRI, the fast development of CPEC has played a significant role in the Belt and Road cooperation. The two sides agreed to further consolidate and expand bilateral economic relations as a matter of high priority and to strengthen multi-faceted pragmatic cooperation in trade and investment. They agreed to boost Pakistan’s industrial capacity including through joint ventures in priority areas, relocation of labor-intensive industry and SMEs collaboration. The two sides noted the growing volume of bilateral trade and agreed to take concrete measures to address trade imbalance, which will help stabilize Pakistan’s economy.
In this context, the two sides agreed to conclude the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement as early as possible, and continue discussions on the Pakistan-China Agreement on Trade in Services. The two sides attached importance to friendly cooperation between the People’s Bank of China and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). They expressed satisfaction at the operationalization of the currency-swap agreement and reaffirmed the need to further strengthen cooperative ties of financial and banking sectors between the two countries. Both sides noted with satisfaction that Chinese and Pakistani banks have operations in both countries. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on tourism promotion, and further expand and deepen their collaboration including in the areas of new and emerging technologies, nanotechnology, biotechnology, ICT, which can contribute to improved living standards through their applications in the fields of health, agriculture, water, energy and food security.
The Chinese side agreed to continue supporting Pakistan in technical and vocational training to develop a skilled manpower for employment in CEPC projects, including through assistance in upgrading vocational training institutes, vocational training exchanges, and capacity building of trainers. Both sides agreed to further enhance defence cooperation, maintain high-level visits and exchanges at various levels between relevant departments of the two armed forces, make full use of the China-Pakistan Defence and Security Consultation mechanism, deepen cooperation in areas such as military exercises, training cooperation, personnel exchanges, and equipment and technology cooperation. Last but not the least; China committed to help Pakistan in extricating from the financial difficulties.