China holds talks with Pakistan leadership to boost 'all-weather ties', signs deals to speed up projects under CPEC

Islamabad: Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan, who arrived in Islamabad on a three-day official visit, met Pakistan president Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday and signed several agreements and agreed to speed up the projects under the $60-billion CPEC to further cement the bilateral all-weather ties. The president also conferred its highest civilian award Nishan-e-Pakistan on Wang, 70, a member of the ruling Communist Party of China’s (CPC) powerful Politburo Standing Committee. The senior Chinese leader was received at the airport by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other top officials. During delegation level-talks between the Pakistan prime minister and Chinese vice president, a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in different sectors were also signed between the two countries, the government said. [caption id=“attachment_13530” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “These MoUs include cooperation in economic and technical affairs, disaster management and assistance in agriculture sector of Lasbella University,” it said. Khan and Wang were present during the signing of the MoUs. The visiting Chinese leader also attended a special seminar about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Wang will visit Lahore on Monday after completing his meetings in Islamabad. The Chinese vice-president’s visit underscores the vitality of the time-tested and all-weather relationship between Pakistan and China. His visit will reinforce the strength of bilateral ties and impart further impetus to the growing, multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries in diverse fields, the Pakisani government said in a statement. The visit is in continuation of high-level exchanges between the two countries, which have acquired an increased momentum since Khan’s visit to China in November last year and his participation in the 2nd Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in April this year. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in Beijing that Wang’s visit to Pakistan will further deepen high-level exchanges, friendship and mutual trust between the two countries. He said the visit will also advance the development of the CPEC besides bilateral cooperation across the board. Lu said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron friends and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s foreign interests. He said Pakistan has been a priority on China’s diplomacy and now both the countries have witnessed a sound momentum in their cooperation and frequent high-level exchanges. Lu said both the countries are deepening the mutually beneficial cooperation and conducting close coordination in international and regional affairs. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of the Belt and Roads Initiative. After visiting Pakistan, the Chinese leader will also visit Germany and Netherlands.