ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday deeply appreciated China’s diplomatic and material support to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.
While talking a high level delegation led by the Chairman of National Committee of Chinese Peoples’ Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Yu Zhengsheng at PM House Islamabad, the prime minister said that the visit will establish institutional linkages between the Parliaments of Pakistan and China.
The prime minister said that close cooperation between the two Parliaments will contribute towards further strengthening the warm and friendly relations between Pakistan and China.
Nawaz Sharif recalled that the relations between the two countries were raised to an even higher level of “All –Weather Cooperative Strategic Partnership”, during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015.
“I am looking forward to my visit to China in May 2017 to participate in the “Belt and Road Forum”, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping”, Sharif father said.
The prime minister sad that the forum would provide an excellent opportunity for discussing important areas of connectivity, infrastructure, trade, finance, people-to-people exchanges and think-tanks cooperation, not only between Pakistan and China but with the wider world.
The prime minister emphasized that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its related projects symbolize the people-centric approach of the two countries and their resolve for regional connectivity.
“The project has immense potential to boost up regional trade and businesses as well as bring the people of the region closer. Millions of people in our region would reap the benefits of this project,” the prime minister stressed.
Yu Zhengsheng thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome accorded by Pakistan to him and his delegation.
The Chairman CPPCC expressed the hope that Parliamentary exchanges between China and Pakistan would further strengthen the brotherly ties between the two countries.
The Chinese delegation included Vice Chairpersons CPPCC National Committee Lin Wenyi, Vice Chairman & Secretary-General CPPCC National Committee Zhang Qingli, Standing Committee Member & Chairman of the Committee for Handling Proposals CPPCC National Committee Sun Gan, Standing Committee Member & Chairman of the Committee of Learning & Culture & Historical Data Wang Taihua, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong, and Vice Minister Ministry of Foreign Affairs Liu Zhenmin.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Leader of House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafar ul Haq, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Senator Saleem H. Mandviwala, Secretary to the Prime Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad, and other senior government officials.