FM Dar, Chinese envoy discuss CPEC progress

DPM seeks to advance Pakistan-China cooperation

ISLAMABAD:

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Sunday, discussing bilateral cooperation, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade and investment, and regional developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.

According to the statement released by MoFA on X, FM Dar "appreciated the continued progress" in the Pakistan-China "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership", which encompasses cooperation under CPEC, connectivity, trade and investment, agricultural modernisation and people-to-people exchanges.

FM Dar "underscored the importance of sustained high-level exchanges" to further advance the "Pakistan-China Community of Shared Future in the New Era", according to the statement.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for the two sides to "exchange views on regional developments", the ministry said, adding that they had reaffirmed "the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for sustainable peace and stability in the region".

Pakistan and China marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, with both sides seeking to expand cooperation beyond traditional infrastructure projects. The next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, known as CPEC 2.0, is expected to focus on industrialisation, agriculture, mining, information technology and artificial intelligence.

At the seventh round of the Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in Beijing in January, the two countries agreed to align their development priorities and deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, cybersecurity and people-to-people exchanges.