Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday left for Pakistan after wrapping up his two-day official visit to China on a successful note.
At the Beijing Capital International Airport, high-level Chinese officials and the officials of the Pakistan Embassy saw the prime minister and his delegation off.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday agreed to strengthen multilateral cooperation in diverse areas including China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strategic partnership.
The two leaders met at the People’s Great Hall of China and discussed broad-based cooperation in economy and investment besides exchanging views on regional and global developments.
PM Sharif and President Xi expressed the desire to further promote the All-Weather Strategic Cooperation Partnership between their countries.
Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived in Beijing Tuesday on a two-day official visit, is among the first leaders to visit China following the historic 20th National Congress of the Communist Party (CPC) of China that elected Xi Jinping as general secretary of the party.
President Xi Jinping, in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, assured China’s continued support for Pakistan’s sustainable economic and strategic projects including the Main Line-1 (ML-1) rail track and announced an additional assistance package of RMB 500 million for the country’s flood relief efforts.
In a meeting held here at the People’s Great Hall, the two leaders reaffirming their mutual commitment to China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreed that as a project of strategic importance, both sides would make joint efforts to “launch the ML-1 as an early harvest project under the CPEC framework”.
Both leaders also acknowledged the need for a mass-transit project in Karachi and agreed to finalize all formalities for the early launch of the Karachi Circular Railway.
They also appreciated the signing of a number of agreements covering a broad range of bilateral cooperation during the visit.
PM Shehbaz Sharif congratulated President Xi on his reelection as General Secretary of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He also thanked him for China’s invaluable assistance to Pakistan’s relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the wake of the devastation caused by super floods in the country.
The two leaders reviewed the progress in Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They reaffirmed their commitment to the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries that has withstood the test of time. The two nations have stood firmly side by side, in realizing their shared vision of peace, stability, development and prosperity.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s unique historic ties with China and the salience of bilateral friendship for regional peace and stability, Prime Minister Shehbaz strongly emphasized that Pakistan-China friendship enjoyed complete consensus across the political spectrum in Pakistan and was a model of inter-state relations.
Paying tribute to President Xi’s leadership for China’s prosperity and his vision for strengthening the bilateral relationships, the prime minister said that Pakistan drew inspiration from China’s socioeconomic development and national resolve to the country’s progress and prosperity.
The two leaders discussed cooperation across a range of issues, including defence, trade and investment, agriculture, health, education, green energy, science and technology, and disaster preparedness.
The two leaders exchanged views on the rapid transformation in the international environment, which had exacerbated economic challenges for developing countries. They affirmed their shared belief in dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit as critical for global peace and prosperity.
They agreed that contemporary challenges like climate change, health pandemics, and growing inequalities needed unqualified cooperation among states, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. There was complete unanimity of views between the two leaders.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Xi Jinping also discussed key issues, pertaining to the region including the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and in Afghanistan.
Both leaders acknowledged that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan would promote regional security and economic development and agreed that CPEC’s extension to Afghanistan would strengthen regional connectivity initiatives.
The prime minister also extended a warm invitation to President Xi for visiting Pakistan at an early date, which the latter accepted graciously.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang here wherein the two sides agreed to expand the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) besides ensuring the early completion of the CPEC projects.
The meeting was held at the Great Hall of the People as the prime minister was on a maiden two-day official visit to China, along with a high-level delegation.
The leading Chinese companies during the official visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China have shown their keen interest to invest in Pakistan’s solar, water and other infrastructure projects.
The prime minister invited the Chinese corporate heads to visit Pakistan and invest in the government’s comprehensive solar power project aimed at generating 10,000 megawatt electricity, the PM Office said Wednesday.
He also encouraged Chinese investment in Pakistan’s alternative energy resources including wind turbine power plants.
Shehbaz Sharif stressed early completion of the infrastructure of Gwadar International Airport, to which the Chinese companies assured to complete the project by the beginning of the year 2023.
The prime minister in a meeting with Chinese investors and businessmen said the government since assuming power in April had resolved several issues pertaining to them and had paid them the pending dues of Rs 160 billion. An amount of Rs 50 billion has been paid to them yesterday, he added.
He said a revolving fund had been established by the State Bank of Pakistan on the directive of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar with seed money of Rs 50 billion.
He regretted the obstacles faced by the Chinese companies in the past on matters concerning the payment of imported coal.
He vowed to address on priority the issues relating to the land acquisition for the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam and other hurdles in way to completion of Mohmand Dam.
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Shehbaz Sharif assured the provision of foolproof security to the Chinese personnel working in Pakistan and said that across-the-board security would be ensured for those deputed on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and other joint initiatives.
He extended condolences over the death of Chinese men and women who lost their lives while at work in Pakistan.
To address the water shortage in Pakistan’s metropolitan Karachi, the prime minister said the federal government along with the Sindh government was ready to collaborate with the Chinese companies to resolve the issue.
The prime minister expressed confidence that strong business and investment linkages between Pakistan and China would lead to further cementing of bilateral relations.
He thanked the Chinese companies for taking a special interest in Pakistan’s development projects particularly the Gwadar Port, Main Line-1 railway track and several other projects.
He also expressed gratitude for the generous support extended by China in the wake of massive flash floods in Pakistan.
