Li calls for bolstering ties with Pakistan

China ready to accelerate construction of major rail, highway, port projects

Bilateral economic cooperation and the joint fight against terrorism have been high on the agenda of Premier Li Qiang’s meetings with Pakistan’s leadership over the past two days during his official visit to the South Asian country.

On Tuesday, he met with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman of the Senate Yousuf Raza Gilani and Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Li said the two sides should further work together to “constantly convert their complementary economic strengths into tangible results of cooperation”.

He expressed the hope that the Senate and the National Assembly will provide a favorable legal environment for the development of bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The Pakistani leaders told Li that the country highly appraises and actively participates in joint building of the Belt and Road, and that construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been carried out smoothly for the benefit of the people of Pakistan and China.

As part of the two countries’ efforts in joint building of the Belt and Road, the CPEC has brought a total of $25.4 billion in direct investment in Pakistan and created 236,000 jobs over the past 11 years.

On Monday, Li met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and they jointly attended the ceremony for the exchange of cooperation documents covering fields such as the CPEC, livelihood assistance, science and technology, radio and television, and customs quarantine.

During their talks, Li said that China is ready to work with Pakistan to build an “upgraded version” of the CPEC and accelerate the construction of major projects in areas such as railways, highways and ports.

Sharif said Pakistan is willing to work with China to create the “upgraded version” of the CPEC within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, speed up transportation infrastructure connectivity, and deepen cooperation in fields such as the economy and trade.

Regarding the Oct 6 terrorist attack in Pakistan, which killed two Chinese workers and injured another, Li said it is hoped that Pakistan will continue to provide a good business environment for Chinese companies and try its best to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in the country.

Sharif said the Pakistani government once again expressed its deep condolences over the attack.

Islamabad has pledged to do its utmost to hunt down the perpetrators, fight terrorism and ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, he added.

Counterterrorism efforts
Also on Monday, Li met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Naveed Ashraf and Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmad Babar.

Speaking to the military leaders, Li said China supports Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and stands ready to deepen counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan.

Beijing is ready to further pool counterterrorism efforts among countries in the region and jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the two countries and the region, he added.

The Pakistani military leaders said that deepening the ironclad Pakistan-China friendship is a strong consensus across all sectors of Pakistani society.

The Pakistani military will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, they added.