BEIJING, April 28: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting in Beijing on Sunday.

During the meeting, the Chinese president said that Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner, according to media reports. “China and Pakistan are 'iron friends' and have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests," China’s state-owned Xinhua News Agency quoted the Chinese President as saying. Xi also said that his country takes Pakistan as a priority in its diplomacy.

“No matter how international and regional situations change, China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and national dignity, choosing its own development path suited to its national conditions, combating terrorist and extremist forces, striving for a sound external security environment, and playing a constructive role in international and regional affairs,” Xi told Khan. The Chinese president expressed happiness over the progress made in bilateral cooperation in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, finance, trade and other aspects.

"In the next stage, China and Pakistan should make more efforts to advance the all-weather strategic cooperation," Xi said, calling on both sides to deepen high-level contacts and mutual support, strengthen strategic communication, and promote high-quality cooperation in production capacity, infrastructure construction, people's livelihood and trade within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

On his part, the Pakistani prime minister said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has played an important role in Pakistan's economic development and the improvement of people's lives.  He expressed the hope that more countries will support and participate in the cooperation under the BRI. “Pakistan is willing to consolidate its traditional friendship with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and enhance communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs,” Khan told Xi.

On the occasion, the two leaders also exchanged views on the situations in South Asia. “Xi expressed the hope that Pakistan and India can meet each other halfway and promote the stabilization and improvement of Pakistan-India relations,” Xinhua quoted the Chinese president as saying.

Leading a high-powered delegation, the Pakistani prime minister reached Beijing on April 25 and attending the Second Belt and Road Forum held on April 26-27. The BRF meeting was held to highlight the achievement of the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) started by Mr. Xi in 2013 in which $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an important component.

The Sunday’s meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Khan was regarded significant as it was held in the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 Indian CRPF soldiers, according to media reports.

China had sent its Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to visit Pakistan in March as part of its efforts to ease the tensions.

Pakistan-China sign deals 

Prior to his meeting with Mr. Xi, Mr. Khan called on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during which the two countries signed a number of agreements, according to reports. Earlier, he met Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan.

 
• Xi_Jinping
 
• Imran_Khan_meeting
 
• Belt_and_Road
 
• BRF_2019