ISLAMABAD: Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi has said that China will work with Pakistan to safeguard the interests of developing countries.
On Wednesday, during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the pledge.
Noting that Pakistan is an “iron-clad” friend and a reliable brother of China, Yang, who is also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said China attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy.
China is willing to further strengthen policy communication and development strategy docking with Pakistan, carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust and deepen practical cooperation, he said.
The two countries should build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor safely, smoothly and with high quality, and join hands to build a closer community with a shared future between the two neighbors in the new era, Yang added.
China appreciates Pakistan’s support for the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China, and is ready to work jointly to promote the implementation of both initiatives to make Asia and the world more peaceful, secure and prosperous, said the Chinese diplomat.
Shahbaz said developing relations with China is a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
Pakistan is committed to pursuing the one-China policy and supporting China in safeguarding its core interests and major concerns, he said.
The prime minister said Pakistan is willing to work with China to deepen practical cooperation in various fields, accelerate the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and take the all-weather Pakistan-China strategic partnership to new heights.
He said the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative are in line with the expectations of the international community, expressing his conviction that they will play an important role in peace, stability, development, and prosperity of the region and the world at large.
During the visit, Yang also met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Pakistan is the first stop of Yang’s four-nation trip from June 29 to July 4 that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
