Xi says CPEC vital to promote bilateral ties

Chinese president vows to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future

BEIJING:

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that as a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was of great importance to promoting in-depth development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and forging a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

Xi, also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a verbal message to Pakistani President Arif Alvi. Xi said he appreciated the fact that Alvi sent a congratulatory letter to the opening of the Second Conference of the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism, which fully demonstrated that Alvi attached great importance to and supported the China-Pakistan relationship and construction of the CPEC.

“China and Pakistan are good brothers and partners who share special friendship,” Xi said, adding that political parties from both sides often carried out friendly consultations and constantly built political consensus, which was conducive to steadily advancing the construction of the CPEC as well as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

“Since the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, the global fight had fully demonstrated that mutual support, solidarity and cooperation present a sure way for humanity to defeat this novel coronavirus,” the Chinese president said.

“China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, jointly promote regional solidarity and cooperation, and safeguard the good momentum of peace and development in the region.”