Chinese President Xi Jinping lauded the enduring ties between China and Pakistan during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's visit to Beijing, emphasizing mutual support and strategic cooperation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday hailed the "unbreakable" friendship between China and Pakistan, underscoring Beijing's commitment to prioritizing relations with Islamabad in its diplomacy towards neighboring countries. The statement came as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held extensive talks with Chinese leadership during his high-profile visit to Beijing.
During a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, President Xi highlighted 75 years of mutual understanding and support between China and Pakistan since establishing diplomatic ties. "No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always place priority on the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighboring countries," he said.
President Xi also pledged closer strategic coordination, deeper security cooperation, and expanded collaboration in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, agriculture, industry, and talent development. He praised Pakistan's mediation efforts aimed at ending the Middle East conflict, expressing appreciation for Islamabad's proactive spirit in promoting peace.
The Chinese president urged both countries to maintain close communication and jointly oppose "unilateralism and the Cold War mentality," while promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world. Prime Minister Shehbaz reciprocated by calling President Xi a great friend of Pakistan and emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and deepening Belt and Road cooperation.
During their talks, both leaders discussed the ongoing Middle East situation and Pakistan's mediation efforts between the United States and Iran. Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted Field Marshal Asim Munir's recent engagements with Iranian and American leaderships as part of backchannel mediation efforts.
The two countries also signed 15 accords covering various areas including economy, environment, agriculture, trade, media, science and technology, counterterrorism, and education. These agreements further solidify the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's four-day official visit to China from May 23-26 includes stops in Beijing and Hangzhou, where he chaired an IT & Telecom investment conference. The visit marks a critical moment of history as both nations celebrate 75 years of glorious friendship and diplomatic relations established by their founding fathers.
In his social media post following the meetings, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed gratitude to President Xi for the warm reception and highlighted discussions on deepening strategic coordination, advancing high-quality CPEC development, and expanding cooperation in industry, agriculture, science and technology, clean energy, digital transformation, and space collaboration.
