Pakistan, China vow to further strengthen partnership
Pakistan and China have once again reaffirmed their commitment to deepen what both sides call an iron-clad, all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The affirmation came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday, where the two leaders held wide-ranging talks in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The prime minister expressed his gratitude to China’s leadership and people for their consistent support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and socio-economic development. Paying tribute to China’s remarkable transformation under President Xi Jinping, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan aspires to follow Beijing’s development model and strengthen a shared future with its closest partner.
The premier pointed out that Pakistan’s reform agenda is beginning to yield encouraging results, largely supported by China’s cooperation. He also announced that Pakistan intends to float Panda Bonds in the Chinese capital market in the near future, signaling stronger financial integration between the two nations.
On the economic front, Shehbaz highlighted the central role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, describing it as a flagship project of President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative. He stressed the importance of moving forward with key projects, including the ML-I railway upgrade, realignment of the Karakoram Highway, and the full operationalization of Gwadar Port. Both sides also agreed to push ahead with the next phase, CPEC 2.0, which will introduce five new corridors covering areas such as industrial cooperation, digital development, and green energy.
Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s support for President Xi’s global initiatives aimed at promoting multilateralism, peace, and sustainable development, including the Global Governance Initiative, Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative.
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The year 2026 will mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, a milestone both sides plan to celebrate with renewed vigor. The meeting concluded with the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding covering cooperation in CPEC 2.0, science and technology, agriculture, media, and information technology.
The visit once again underscored that Pakistan and China remain steadfast partners, looking to the future with a shared vision of prosperity, stability, and mutual trust.
