—— In a meeting with the Chinese President, PM reiterates no one would be allowed to undermine strategic partnership
—— Invites President Xi to visit Pakistan
—— Pakistan, China emphasize steady pace of CPEC
—— Both sides vow to make it corridor of sustainable growth
From Mahnoor Makhdoom
BEIJING: In a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday reaffirmed the unwavering trust and commitment between Pakistan and China, branding their bilateral partnership as one made in “heaven”.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Third Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of People, a gathering attended by leaders and delegates from approximately 140 nations.
The interim PM also emphasised that Pakistan would stand steadfastly by China’s side and would not allow anything to undermine this vital strategic partnership.
During his opening remarks in today’s meeting, Prime Minister Kakar reiterated Pakistan’s strong sup-port for the “One China policy”, stressing that their commitment would be demonstrated through ac-tions, not just words.
“Had the privilege of meeting with President Xi Jinping at the iconic Great Hall of People in Beijing. We discussed various dimensions of the multi faceted Pakistan-China relationship and reaffirmed our longstanding and steadfast friendship, all-weather strategic cooperation, economic and trade ties, and CPEC. I congratulated him on the success of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum and the 10th anniversary of BRI,” said the PM in a post on his X account. Prime Minister Kakar made it clear that Pakistan had no intentions of retracting from its close ties with China.
Meanwhile, President Xi warmly received the premier and his accompanying delegation, which includ-ed notable figures like Caretaker Federal Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar, Caretaker Federal Interi-or Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce and Industries & Production Gohar Ejaz.
Prime Minister Kakar extended his gratitude to President Xi for the invitation to this “historic” forum and commended the remarkable success of the event.
In his address, Prime Minister Kakar lauded President Xi’s speech at the Belt and Road Forum as “pro-found, deep, and visionary,” offering abundant opportunities, particularly for Pakistan.
He highlighted the moment as a momentous opportunity for Pakistan to seize and emphasised that China’s success had a positive global impact, summarizing it in the phrase, “when China does well, the rest of the world does well.”
The PM also pointed out that President Xi’s eight proposals presented at the forum were more than just a roadmap for physical connectivity; they also served as a stabilising factor in the international or-der.
He described the Belt and Road Initiative as a pragmatic and practical response to the political, eco-nomic, and civilisational challenges faced by numerous nations worldwide.
Prime Minister Kakar acknowledged that China’s unprecedented progress served as a global role mod-el, transforming the lives of millions. He emphasised that there was unanimous support for China across the entirety of Pakistan’s political structures.
President Xi, in response, expressed China’s readiness to work closely with Pakistan to further strengthen their traditional friendship and deepen their bilateral partnership.
He reiterated their resolve to accelerate the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with a commitment to high-quality development, all while working toward regional peace and development.
