ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s iron-clad and all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China during a meeting with Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China CPC, Sun Haiyan, at the Prime Minister’s House.
The meeting comes at a significant time as Pakistan and China celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, marking decades of close political, economic, and strategic cooperation.
Welcoming the Chinese dignitary and her delegation, the prime minister said Pakistan-China relations have entered a milestone year marked by high-level diplomatic engagements. He noted that the year had already witnessed the visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Beijing and the interior minister’s visit to Shanghai, while the speaker of the National Assembly is also expected to visit China soon. These visits reflect the growing depth of bilateral ties and strategic coordination.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed his warm greetings to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership, reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the One China Policy. He lauded China’s continued support for Pakistan, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC, which remains a cornerstone of economic cooperation. Stressing the importance of economic development and regional connectivity, he emphasized the timely implementation of the next phase of CPEC projects to boost trade, infrastructure, and energy security.
The prime minister also renewed his cordial invitation to President Xi Jinping to undertake an official visit to Pakistan this year, describing it as a historic opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-China friendship and strategic partnership.
Vice Minister Sun Haiyan thanked the prime minister for the warm reception and reaffirmed China’s commitment to enhancing its long-standing and time-tested relationship with Pakistan across all sectors. She congratulated the prime minister on his leadership in bringing economic stability and political cohesion to the country, adding that the Chinese people take pride in Pakistan’s diplomatic achievements.
She also briefed the prime minister on strong party-to-party relations between the Communist Party of China and various political parties in Pakistan, highlighting the importance of political dialogue for effective governance. Earlier, Sun Haiyan met Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, with discussions focusing on Pakistan-China relations, regional developments, inter-party cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, which remain among the most searched topics related to Pakistan foreign policy and China relations.
