Pakistan, China reiterate resolve to accelerate all CPEC projects

BEIJING: Pakistan and China on Tuesday expressed the determination to accelerate progress on all projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including ML-I upgradation, Gwadar Port and realignment of Karakorum Highway.

The bilateral ties and cooperation were discussed in a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) Liu Jianchao.

The deputy prime minister is on a four-day visit to China, mainly to co-chair the Fifth Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the official news agency reported.

In the meeting, the two leaders also reaffirmed the importance of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China and to further reinforce mutually beneficial collaboration.

They discussed the longstanding cooperation and exchanges between the political parties of Pakistan and the Communist Party of China.

Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm support to China on its core issues while Minister Liu expressed China’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and high-quality socioeconomic development.

The deputy prime minister and foreign minister expressed condolences and shock over Chinese casualties in the heinous Shangla attack, and reiterated Pakistan’s firm resolve to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to bring perpetrators of the Shangla attack to justice.

He underlined the measures taken by Pakistan to ensure enhanced security of Chinese projects, personnel and institutions in Pakistan.

Dar invited Liu Jianchao to visit Pakistan to co-chair the next meeting of CPEC Joint Consultative Mechanism of Political Parties this year.