President Xi reaffirms unwavering support to Pakistan, CPEC

Islamabad: President Xi Jinping on Monday reaffirmed China's steadfast support for Pakistan during the decade of CPEC celebration event in Islamabad.

In a message on the eve, the Chinese president emphasized the strong bilateral ties and the continuous improvement and expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

Vice Premier of the State Council of China He Lifeng is now on the official visit of Pakistan.

Highlighting the significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a pioneering project of the Belt and Road cooperation, Xi pledged to work with Pakistan to develop CPEC into an exemplary model of high-quality Belt and Road collaboration. Both nations aim for high-standard, sustainable, and livelihood-enhancing outcomes.

President Xi commended the fruitful progress achieved since CPEC's launch in 2013, which has contributed to Pakistan's economic and social development and enhanced regional connectivity and integration. He emphasized the enduring friendship between China and Pakistan and their shared vision for a closer community with a shared future.

Xi expressed the commitment of China and Pakistan to forge ahead together, strengthen their ironclad friendship, coordinate development and security, and elevate their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to new heights. This collaboration aims to foster peace, prosperity, and regional stability.

During the event, six agreements and MOUs were signed to further enhance bilateral cooperation. These included matters related to the joint cooperation committee of CPEC, establishing an experts' exchange mechanism within CPEC, exporting dried chillies from Pakistan to China, and the realignment of the Karakoram Highway Phase II project feasibility study. Additionally, the two countries agreed to promote the strategic ML-1 project and signed an MOU on Industrial Workers' Exchange Program.