BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday praised Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting peace in the Middle East during a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing.
During the meeting, Xi said China gives priority to its relationship with Pakistan in its neighborhood diplomacy.
The Chinese president appreciated Pakistan’s efforts toward regional peace and said the two countries had forged an “unbreakable traditional friendship.”
Xi also welcomed Syed Asim Munir on his visit to China, noting that the field marshal had recently returned from Iran.
He said Pakistan’s positive efforts and mediation initiatives for peace were commendable and acknowledged Asim Munir’s important role in facilitating contacts between Iran and the United States.
“The situation is moving in the right direction,” Xi said, according to official statements.
The Chinese president further stressed that China and Pakistan should jointly oppose unilateral actions and Cold War mentality, while advancing high-level and broader security cooperation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met Chinese Premier Li Qiang, where both sides agreed to elevate Pakistan-China partnership into a new phase of high-quality cooperation.
During the visit, 15 memorandums of understanding were signed covering cooperation in investment, agriculture, climate change and education.
Speaking on the occasion, Shehbaz Sharif said the longstanding strategic partnership with China remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and reflects the two countries’ shared commitment to friendship, development and prosperity.
