Pakistan, China agree to enhance cooperation in diverse fields

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Sunday agreed to enhance focus on high-quality advancements in industry, agriculture, information technology, science and technology to ensure tangible socio-economic benefits for the people through the evolution of CPEC.

The agreement was reached during the 4th meeting of CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC) held here. The meeting, which was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, Sun Weidong, exemplified the commitment of both countries to foster international cooperation and coordination.

The two sides reviewed with satisfaction the progress made since the third meeting of the Joint Working Group held virtually on 21 July 2022. The meeting underscored CPEC’s pioneering role in strengthening international and regional connectivity while appreciating the open and inclusive nature of this flagship project.

Noting that Pakistan and China were All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners and Iron Brothers, the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the importance of CPEC in promoting win-win cooperation and sustainable development. He also emphasized on welcoming interested third parties to explore mutually beneficial avenues of cooperation.

The two sides rejected the disinformation campaigns and distorted reporting on CPEC and stressed the need to counter fallacious narratives and misinformation.

Recalling the deliberations of the Second and the Third Pakistan-China Think Tanks Forum in September 2022 and July 2023, the two sides expressed joint support for media and think tanks cooperation. They also agreed on sharing of best practices and generating an intellectual knowledge pool of CPEC and BRI development through enhanced international communication and cooperation.