Pakistan, China agree to 'inject fresh momentum' in bilateral ties

Pakistan and China on Wednesday agreed to “inject fresh momentum” in their bilateral strategic ties by enhancing cooperation in various fields.

The agreement was reached at a virtual meeting between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), the two foreign ministers discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

“The Foreign Minister underscored his determination to inject fresh momentum in the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership and add new avenues to practical cooperation,” the FO said.

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Minister Zardari appreciated the transformational impact of the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Pakistan’s infrastructure, energy, industrialisation, socio-economic development and improvement in livelihoods of the people.

The ambitious CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China's northwest Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western Pakistan province of Balochistan.

India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Zardari underlined that Pakistan was committed to high quality development of CPEC and looked forward to fast-tracking key projects and accelerating industrial relocation to Pakistan, especially in CPEC Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

He conveyed that Pakistan enjoyed unique and time-tested bonds with China and appreciated the measures taken by the two sides to strengthen their All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.