Dar’s visit to China next week

Deputy PM to attend fifth round of China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue

ISLAMABAD:

The visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to China next week would be an important part of the institutional exchanges between the two foreign ministries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Dar was invited by his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. During the May 13-16 visit, Dar would attend the fifth round of the foreign minister-level China-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told his regular press briefing in Beijing.

“China is willing to work with the Pakistani side to take this visit as an opportunity to further implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries,” Lin said. “In recent years, the two countries have maintained close high-level exchanges at all levels,” he added.

Lin said that the China-Pakistan friendship had become stronger over the years, as both the countries joined hands to cope with changes in the international and regional situation, deepened mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation.

Lin recalled that after the elections in Pakistan this year, President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji sent congratulatory messages to the Pakistani leaders at the first opportunity, expressing China’s sincere congratulations and good wishes.

“The Chinese side was willing to carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, deepen practical cooperation in various fields and create an upgraded version of the construction of CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor].”

The Chinese spokesperson expressed China’s desire to deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and accelerate the construction of a closer community of destiny between China and Pakistan in the new era.