China ready for partnership with Muslim world: Wang Yi

Islamabad: Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi said on Tuesday that his country had always worked for global peace and security, adding that China was ready for a partnership with the Muslim world.

Addressing the foreign minister’s meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, the Chinese foreign minister who is attending the event as a special guest, said he was thankful to the Pakistani leadership for inviting him to the conference. 

Emphasizing that China wanted peace in the world, Wang Yi said the country supported the two-state solution to the issue of Palestine. “We stand by the people of Palestine,” he told the gathering.    

Yi further said that China was ready for a partnership with the Muslim world.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Beijing has expressed a desire to promote Pakistani exports to China by allowing the import of more Pakistani rice and improving the balance of trade between the two countries, and supporting Pakistan's agriculture sector.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Islamabad along with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Qureshi said they had a good overview of their commercial, bilateral trade, and investment opportunities. He said they also signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding that will further facilitate bilateral cooperation in different fields.

Qureshi said the two sides agreed to have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the OIC Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers. He said they concluded a comprehensive review of their bilateral relations, the regional challenges, and the evolving situation in Ukraine.