60-year ties: China’s top diplomat meets Gilani, Khar

Dai Bingguo arrives in Pakistan for talks with the country’s top civilian and military leadership

BEIJING/ISLAMABAD:

China’s senior diplomat Dai Bingguo arrived in Pakistan on Friday for talks with the country’s top civilian and military leadership as relations with the United States, have gone from bad to worse, state news agency Xinhua said.      

China’s State Councillor Dai met with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khan and is also due to meet President Asif Ali Zardari.

“There is a complete convergence of views of our two countries on the global and regional issues and a commonality of approach to advance the international agenda for peace and prosperity,” Gilani said while speaking at a banquet hosted in honour of Dai Bingguo here at the PM House. Gilani went on to add that Pakistan deeply valued China’s support and solidarity with Pakistan’s efforts to uphold its sovereignty. The visit is meant to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties and will “take relations to a new high”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2011.