Strong China-Pakistan ties conducive to regional peace: Xi tells Premier Sharif

- Sharif thanks China for 'unflinching' support to Pakistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and socio-economic development

ISLAMABAD

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that closer ties between China and Pakistan are crucial for safeguarding regional peace and stability.

President Xi, during his meeting with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing, said China and Pakistan should work to accelerate the building of an even closer community with a shared future in the new era, aimed at delivering greater benefits to both peoples and setting an example for the wider region, state-run Xinhua News reported.

"China stands ready to work with Pakistan to build upgraded versions of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement," Xi said, hoping Pakistan will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.

Pakistan said that the Chinese president assured that Beijing will continue to assist Islamabad in all fields as the two countries are set to launch the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar CPEC, according to a statement from Sharif's office.

Both leaders also discussed important regional and global developments and agreed to continue close cooperation between Pakistan and China in this regard.

Sharif thanked China for "unflinching" support to Pakistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and socio-economic development and reaffirmed the desire to continue working closely with Beijing for the successful implementation of the next phase of the upgraded CPEC, with its five new corridors.

Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1950, Beijing and Islamabad have described their relationship as an “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.” China has become Pakistan’s largest arms supplier, while bilateral trade volume surpassed $23 billion in 2024.

A crucial factor in bilateral ties is the CPEC, a more than $ 62-billion infrastructure project connecting China's strategically important northwestern Xinjiang province with Balochistan's Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan.

The Pakistani premier arrived in Beijing after attending the 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in China’s Tianjin city.

He will participate, along with 26 other countries' leaders, in a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday.