ISLAMABAD: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said onMonday that China and Pakistan were committed to enhancing their strategiccoordination and pragmatic cooperation.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister ShahMahmood Qureshi, Wang said he is paying his first visit to Pakistan sincethe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he had held extensive andin-depth talks with Qureshi on bilateral ties.
As the world is facing turbulence and challenges, Wang said China andPakistan need to strengthen their strategic communication and join hands tobuild a closer China-Pakistan community of a shared future, so as to bringstability to regional peace and prosperity.
Wang proposed efforts to be made in the following four areas to furtherstrengthen China-Pakistan ties.
First, giving firm support to each other
No matter what changes take place in the international situation and theirrespective countries, China will stick to its friendly policy towardPakistan, firmly support the Pakistani people in taking a development paththat fits their own national conditions, and support Pakistan in defendingits sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, Wang said.
It was hoped that various political parties in Pakistan will strengthentheir cooperation and unity to ensure development and stability in thecountry, he said.
Second, accelerating common development and revitalization
China and Pakistan should enhance the synergy between their developmentstrategies, construct the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with highquality, stay committed to advancing key cooperation projects, and expandcooperation in green development, digitalization, poverty reduction,health, and other fields, Wang noted.
China would support Pakistan in developing industries, strengtheningcommerce, and revitalizing agriculture so as to achieve a more balanced,independent, and sustainable development, Wang said.
Third, deepening counter-terrorism cooperation
China supports Pakistan in severely punishing the perpetrators of the Dasuterrorist attack, appreciates its efforts to strengthen the security ofChinese personnel and projects in Pakistan, and will, as always, helpPakistan improve its law enforcement and security capacity, Wang said.
Fourth, maintaining closer multilateral coordination
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The two countries should strengthen coordination on international andregional issues such as Afghanistan and Ukraine, jointly practice truemultilateralism, earnestly safeguard the basic norms governinginternational relations, oppose power politics, bullying, and unilateralsanctions, and work to help the international order advance in a more justand reasonable direction, Wang said.
During the press conference, Wang also noted that it was the first time forhim to attend, in his capacity as the Chinese foreign minister, the 48thsession of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of IslamicCooperation (OIC) to be held in Islamabad.
Wang said that China and the Islamic world had a strong desire to buildpartnerships for unity, justice, and development.
He noted that his presence at the OIC event reflected the strong desire ofChina and the Islamic world to further deepen their cooperation, saying thetheme of the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting — “Building Partnerships forUnity, Justice, and Development” — bears special significance under thecurrent international circumstances.
China and the Islamic world both enjoy a profound history, seek similarvalues, and share historic missions, Wang said, adding that China is readyto build partnerships with the Islamic countries for mutual support andmutual understanding.
The cooperation between China and the Islamic world was a key part ofSouth-South cooperation, Wang said.
In the face of the centennial changes and the once-in-a-century pandemic,Wang said it’s necessary for China and the Islamic world to forge a closerunity and a common position, speak with one voice, and safeguard theircommon interests.
Wang pointed out that the current world was far from tranquility, and theinternational system and the basic norms governing international relationshad encountered grave challenges.
China was willing to work with the Islamic world to pursue multilateralism,safeguard sovereignty independence, and national dignity of all states,uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and maintain fairnessand justice in international relations, Wang said.
Underlining the huge potential and complementary advantages in thecooperation between China and the Islamic countries, Wang said China wasready to join hands with friends of the Islamic world to make duecontributions to the world’s economic recovery and growth.
