China, Pakistan agree to enhance high-level exchanges

Decide to strengthen cooperation in view of changing international situation

BEIJING: China and Pakistan have agreed to enhance high-level exchanges and strengthen pragmatic cooperation for more progress in the bilateral relations in view of changing international situation, said Lu Knag, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

"The two sides also agreed to jointly implement the consensus reached by our two leaders during Prime Minister Imran Khan's attendance in the second Belt and Road Forum for the International Cooperation," Lu Knag said.

He was responding to a question regarding a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Bishkek on Wednesday.

He said the State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi ‘who is a good friend’ on the sidelines of their SCO foreign ministers meeting.

"Both sides believe that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership is deepened in our Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation" he added.

He said: “Faced with the current international situation, the two countries agreed to enhance high-level exchanges and deepen our practical cooperation for more progress in their bilateral relations.”

The spokesperson said the two foreign ministers also discussed international cooperation on some important issues for example the counter-terrorism. "Both sides agreed to deepen our cooperation on bilateral and multilateral occasions," he added.

He said both sides also discussed some other issues including the Afghan situation, the solution to this issue and reached many important consensuses in other areas.

According to a Chinese foreign ministry's statement, Wang Yi during the meeting told his Pakistani counterpart that China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership had been deepened and promoted in the process of building the ‘Belt and Road’.

The two sides should jointly implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and promote China-Pakistan relations.

Wang Yi said the Chinese side appreciated Pakistan's long-term efforts to combat terrorism. "It hopes and believes in that the Pakistani side will strengthen security work for Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan and safeguard the security of China-Pakistan cooperation.

He said Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan was willing to work with China to prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges between the two countries, implement the results of the second ‘Belt and Road’ international cooperation summit forum, strengthen the cooperation between the two countries and promote new achievements in bilateral relations.

“The Pakistani side was fully consistent with the Chinese goal in combating terrorism and extremism. Both sides shared the same feelings and the same fate. The concern of the Chinese side was the concern of the Pakistani side.

“The Pakistani side would do its utmost to protect the security of Chinese citizens and institutions in Pakistan, and continue to strengthen bilateral anti-terrorism cooperation under the dual multilateral framework and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and regional peace and stability.”

The two sides also exchanged views on the Afghan issue and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination, jointly promote the early political settlement of the Afghan issue, and maintain regional peace and stability.