It their bid to review bilateral relations, Pakistan and China have agreed to expand and reinforce security and political cooperation, bilateral trade, economic and financial cooperation, tourism, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties, the Foreign Office said in a statement released on Sunday.
The development came when the two countries met during the third round of the Pakistan-China Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) — which is a regular institutional mechanism between both countries — held in Beijing on March 18.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan, while Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong headed the Chinese side.
Pakistan and China, according to FO, will also enhance high-level engagements and dialogue mechanisms and make the channels of communication even more robust.
Noting the completion of a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to CPEC which remains a major pillar of bilateral cooperation and a symbol of ever-deepening friendship between the two countries.
They also agreed to remain engaged in the expansion of CPEC including the participation of third parties to enhance regional connectivity and cooperation.
Dr Majeed thanked the Chinese side for its consistent and generous support for the economic stability of Pakistan and the humanitarian assistance provided to the country during last year’s devastating floods. Meanwhile, Sun reaffirmed China’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and economic security.
“The two sides exchanged views on a range of regional and global issues of mutual interest and expressed satisfaction over their close cooperation and engagement on important regional developments including in Afghanistan,” the statement read.
It added that Pakistan and China will further strengthen dialogue and cooperation in multilateral platforms.
