FM Bilawal meets Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, discusses matters of mutual interest including CPEC cooperation

BEIJING, May 22 (APP):
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Guangzhou to push Pakistan-China relations to a new height and build a closer community of Pakistan-China shared future in the new era.

This is Bilawal Bhutto’s maiden visit to China after he took office of foreign minister of Pakistan and it is also the first official interaction between high-level officials of the two countries after the establishment of the new Pakistani government.

Bilawal Bhutto jointly met the press after holding talks with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou.

China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners and friends who stand together through thick and thin. Close strategic communication is a fine tradition of both sides, according to a statement issued by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

The foreign ministers of the two countries held fruitful talks, which further consolidated the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, further enhanced the political mutual trust between the two countries, and further strengthened the cooperation confidence between the two sides.

Wang Yi introduced the five important consensus reached by the two sides:

First, they agreed that the friendship between China and Pakistan is everlasting, the relationship between the two countries is rock solid, and the solidarity and cooperation between the two sides has become an important factor of stability in the turbulent and changing world.

We will firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns, and continuously deepen strategic communication and practical cooperation.

While working together to achieve their own development and revitalization, we will accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

Second, they agreed that any terrorist attack against Chinese citizens in Pakistan is unacceptable, any despicable attempt to undermine China-Pakistan friendship will not succeed, and incidents such as the terrorist attack on the Confucius Institute in Karachi must never be repeated.Â

The Chinese side supports the Pakistani side to speed up the detection of cases, identify the perpetrators and punish them severely, and will continue to provide support and assistance to the Pakistani side in its fight against terrorism.

The Pakistani side reiterated that it will further upgrade security measures and make every effort to ensure the safety of all Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.Â

The two sides agreed to issue an enhanced version for safeguarding the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, and will formulate specific plans for implementation as soon as possible.Â

The two sides called on regional countries and the international community to form a joint effort to combat all forms of terrorism.

Third, they agreed that China-Pakistan all-round cooperation has yielded fruitful results and broad space. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has effectively improved Pakistan’s infrastructure level and promoted Pakistan’s economic and social development.

The two sides will deeply align their respective development strategies, further unleash the potential of economic cooperation, and advance the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in a safe, smooth and high-quality manner.

The two sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in the fields of energy, industry, agriculture, information technology and transportation infrastructure, to accelerate the process of Pakistan’s industrialization, and at the same time to enhance the momentum and resilience of Pakistan’s economic development.

China supports Pakistan in maintaining its own economic and financial stability, making good use of the policy dividends of the free trade agreement between the two countries, and expanding the export of Pakistan’s advantageous products to China, so as to better benefit the people of the two countries, especially the people of Pakistan.

The two sides agreed to overcome the impact of the epidemic and take effective measures to facilitate necessary exchanges and personnel exchanges between the two countries.

Fourth, it is agreed that the world has entered a period of turbulence and change, and the international community’s voice for peace and development has become stronger.

The global development initiatives and global security initiatives proposed by China conform to the trend of the times, and contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to the outstanding problems facing mankind today.

The Chinese side highly appreciates the Pakistani side for taking the lead in supporting global development initiatives and global security initiatives, and is willing to work with other countries in the world to focus on the development agenda, address security challenges, implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Fifth, they agreed that the sound situation of peace, stability and cooperative development in Asia is the result of the joint efforts of countries in the region, and should be cherished.

We call on all parties to adhere to mutual respect, treat each other as equals, and achieve win-win cooperation, and oppose the Cold War mentality, zero-sum game, and camp confrontation.

It is necessary to consolidate and enhance an open and inclusive regional cooperation framework, insist on resolving hotspot issues through dialogue and consultation, and jointly safeguard regional peace and development.