Pak-China FMs joint press conference
Peace in Afghanistan vital for region’s development, says Bilawal
China, Pakistan committed to building closer community with shared future: Qin Gang
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on Saturday stressed the importance of “peace and stability in Afghanistan” for the region’s socioeconomic development and vowed to work together with all stakeholders, including China, towards its achievement.
Addressing a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Islamabad, Bilawal said: “In our dialogue today, we also noted the peace and stability in Afghanistan remains vital for socio-economic development, connectivity and prosperity in the region.
“We will continue to work together with all stakeholders for peaceful, stable, prosperous and united Afghanistan,” he asserted.
A day ago, the foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan arrived in Islamabad to participate in bilateral and trilateral meetings on a range of issues, including security and the economy.
Bilawal further termed the Pakistan-China friendship as “irreversible”, “a historic reality”, and a “consensus choice of the two nations”. He added: “Pakistan remains against bloc politics or great power competition of any kind.”
The minister said Pakistan reiterated its “abiding commitment to its [CPEC’s] high-quality development”.
Bilawal further said: “CPEC remains a shining example of the Belt and Road Cooperation, which is accelerated socioeconomic development, job creation and improvement of the people’s livelihoods in Pakistan.”
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the occasion said that China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, are committed to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. Qin said that China appreciates Pakistan’s political support on issues relating to China’s core interests and major concerns.
China will, as always, continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, finding a development path suited to its own national conditions, and playing its due role in global and regional affairs, Qin said.
The two foreign ministers agreed that their countries, in the post-pandemic era, will resume communication at all levels as well as consultation through mechanisms, fully implement the important consensuses reached by leaders of the two countries, and speed up China-Pakistan all-round cooperation.
During the meeting, the two sides pledged to accelerate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and sound planning and operation in industrial cooperation, and extend the frontier of fields including agriculture, technology and new energy, so as to help Pakistan achieve higher-quality and sustainable development.
Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Chinese foreign minister underlined its high-quality development.
Qin said that under the joint efforts of both countries, CPEC has become a model of Belt and Road cooperation, bringing about significant improvement in Pakistan’s infrastructure, and tangible economic and social benefits from early harvest projects.
He pointed out that the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pakistan aims to help Pakistan develop its economy and improve people’s livelihood.
“Some forces have fabricated the lie that China is creating a debt trap in Pakistan. I suggest our media friends ask those people what they have done for Pakistan’s development and what real money they have invested in the country. I believe the people of Pakistan don’t need high-sounding rhetoric, but real help,” Qin said. Agencies
