President Xi meets PM Imran, hails strategic relationship between China and Pakistan

Prime Minister Imran Khan met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, the final day of his four-day visit to the neighbouring country.

In a tweet, Imran said he had a "great meeting" with the Chinese president. "We agreed to further enhance our strategic and economic relations and to fast track the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," he said.

According to a handout issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Imran met the Chinese president at the Great Hall of People in Beijing.

In the meeting with Imran Khan, Xi Jinping pledged closer co-operation under the CPEC investment programme to build roads, power plants and other infrastructure.

Xi said China was willing to join hands with its longtime ally to “build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,” Global Times reported.

“The strategic relationship between China and Pakistan is of prominence in a changing world,” Xi was quoted as saying. “China upholds fairness and justice in international affairs. China is willing to strengthen the co-ordination and co-operation with Pakistan in multilateral venues such as the UN and promote justice and world and regional peace,” Xi said.

The Pakistani premier congratulated the Chinese leadership for successfully hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and extended his best wishes on the Chinese Lunar New Year.

"The prime minister underscored that China was Pakistan’s steadfast partner, staunch supporter and iron brother. The all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China had withstood the tests of time and the two nations firmly stood side by side in realising their visions and shared aspirations of peace, stability, development and prosperity," the PMO’s statement said.

Imran also briefed the Chinese president on his geo-economics vision and the government's policies for sustained growth, industrial development, agricultural modernisation and regional connectivity.

"He lauded China’s continued support and assistance to Pakistan’s socio-economic development which had greatly benefitted from the high quality development of CPEC. The prime minister welcomed increased Chinese investments in CPEC’s phase-II which centered on industrialisation and improving people’s livelihoods."

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that Imran held very comprehensive meetings with the Chinese leadership and reviewed the entire gamut of the bilateral ties.

During these high-level meetings, leadership of the two countries discussed future prospects of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, economic integration, and the next phase of the CPEC. The foreign minister was talking to media after his return from China.

Qureshi was a part of the high-level delegation led by Imran that visited China to attend the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the special invitation of the Chinese leadership. The foreign minister said, “Without any hesitation, I want to say that these meetings were held extensively and with much clarity.”