PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese IDCPC Minister discuss strengthening strategic partnership

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for sustained political engagement and stronger party-to-party exchanges to further consolidate Pakistan-China relations, describing the partnership as ironclad, time-tested and all-weather.

He expressed these views during a meeting with Mr Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), who called on the prime minister along with a delegation, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Welcoming the Chinese dignitary and his delegation, the prime minister said the friendship between Pakistan and China was rooted in mutual trust, respect and deep bonds between their peoples.

He appreciated the IDCPC’s role in strengthening institutional linkages and promoting cooperation between the political leadership of the two countries.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with Beijing, Shehbaz highlighted shared priorities in expanding cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, infrastructure development, information technology and agricultural modernisation.

He stressed that continued political-level engagement and institutional cooperation were essential to advancing the longstanding strategic partnership.

Liu conveyed the greetings of the Chinese leadership to the prime minister and reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to further deepening its longstanding friendship with Pakistan. He also appreciated the positive momentum in high-level engagements and party-to-party exchanges aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.

The two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their resolve to maintain close coordination at bilateral and multilateral forums.

The prime minister also hosted a banquet in honour of Liu and the accompanying delegation.

Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with the visiting IDCPC minister in Islamabad.

Liu conveyed greetings from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which Dar warmly reciprocated, according to the Foreign Office. Dar also conveyed warm greetings to President Xi Jinping on behalf of Pakistan’s leadership.

He reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to further strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with Beijing.

The two leaders discussed ways to enhance cultural ties and people-to-people exchanges and expressed their resolve to maintain close coordination and build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations, the FO said.

Earlier, the Foreign Office described Liu’s visit as part of ongoing high-level exchanges between the two countries, reflecting their longstanding friendship and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

The visit comes amid fresh initiatives to expand bilateral cooperation. Pakistan and China recently signed an agreement to operationalise a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border for agricultural and allied products, aimed at facilitating trade. The Khunjerab Pass links Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and is the world’s highest paved international border crossing, at an elevation of around 15,500 feet.

The two countries also launched the China-Pakistan Information Corridor last week, built around four pillars: media, business and enterprises, think tanks, and culture and tourism.

Pakistan and China have maintained a longstanding strategic partnership based on mutual trust, economic cooperation and regional connectivity. Their ties have expanded over the decades across trade, energy, defence, infrastructure and space, with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor serving as a flagship initiative of their shared development agenda.