PM Sharif, President Xi reaffirm commitment to CPEC and cooperation

BEIJING: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held a delegation-level meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to deepening strategic ties with China.

The high-level Pakistani delegation included Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Atta Tarar.

During the talks, Prime Minister Shehbaz praised China’s remarkable achievement under President Xi, noting that “lifting 800 million people out of poverty is a historic feat, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) stands as a clear example of this vision.”

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He added that the people of Pakistan hold China’s friendship close to their hearts, expressing gratitude for Beijing’s continued cooperation, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), described as the flagship project of bilateral partnership.

The meeting followed Shehbaz Sharif’s address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin a day earlier, where he stressed Pakistan’s belief in dialogue and diplomacy amid regional instability.

He emphasized respect for sovereignty among SCO members and urged cooperation on equitable access to water resources.

The PM highlighted China’s global leadership as an example of stability and growth, with CPEC serving as a model of shared prosperity.

He also congratulated Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on their national days during his remarks.

Sharif strongly rejected all forms of terrorism, calling out those who exploit it for political ends.

“The world no longer accepts this fictional narrative,” he said, citing evidence of foreign involvement in recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the Jafar Express train incident.