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- May 16, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
BEJING: Foreign Minister Wang Yi informed his Pakistani counterpart on Wednesday that China is prepared to collaborate with Pakistan to create an “upgraded version” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Wang praised the “ironclad” connection between the neighboring nations and promised to push CPEC in talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s new deputy prime minister, according to the South China Morning Post. Citing a 2022 agreement signed by the two countries, Mr. Yi stated, “Both sides should effectively implement the Framework Agreement on Industrial Cooperation, strengthening our cooperation in areas like industry, agriculture, mining, new and energy, and information technology.” The statement was taken from a readout provided by the Chinese foreign ministry.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, the two men co-chaired the fifth meeting of the China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. As to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister characterized Pakistan’s foreign policy’s cornerstone as being its relations with China. He also emphasized the dangers that India’s illegitimate possession of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir poses to the peace and security of the region and expressed gratitude for China’s principled position on the issue. In honor of Dar, the deputy prime minister, Mr. Yi also gave a lunch, according to the Foreign Office. In their meeting with Mr. Dar on Wednesday, Mr. Yi and Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang also urged Islamabad to guarantee the security of Chinese nationals and their investments there.
“Pakistan will do its best to safeguard Chinese personnel in Pakistan and ensure the security of Chinese businesses and projects so they may continue their work in Pakistan without concern,” expressed the desire of Bejing, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Mr. Yi was quoted by Anadolu Agency as adding, “China’s determination to deepen cooperation with Pakistan will not waver.” “It is hoped that Pakistan will continue to make every effort to… eliminate the worries of Chinese enterprises and personnel,” Mr. Yi said to Deputy PM Dar. Additionally, he demanded that the two nations’ counterterrorism security collaboration be significantly strengthened.
Mr. Dar responded by promising to work much harder to find the March attack criminals and to uphold the law to protect Chinese nationals and their enterprises in Pakistan. He also urged the world to come together and adopt a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism in all its manifestations. The Chinese readout of the meeting states that the two talked about the state of the world economy and the developments in the Middle East. Mr. Dar offered his sympathies for the Shangla attack of March 26 during his meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang. He also promised that there would be no tolerance for those who commit atrocities of this nature.
Mr. Xuexiang reportedly stated at the meeting that China was prepared to keep up high-level strategic communication with Pakistan and to guarantee the CPEC’s development was of a “high quality.” These statements were released by state broadcaster CCTV. In a FO statement, the two affirmed their trust in the project’s beneficial outcomes for industry, agriculture, and mineral development during phase two, noting the advancements made by CPEC in the areas of energy and infrastructure. The two talked about streamlining the visa process and facilitating connectivity via the Khunjerab border crossing.