Pakistan, China reaffirm deepening strategic cooperative partnership

BEIJING: Pakistan and China reiterated their commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC 2.0) high-quality development, with a focus on renewable energy, agriculture, livelihood projects, industry, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Beijing served as the venue for the fifth meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC). According to a news release from the Foreign Office, Vice Foreign Minister of China Sun Weidong and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch co-chaired the meeting.

The crucial role that CPEC plays in fostering regional connectivity, win-win collaboration, and shared prosperity—including through collaborations with other nations—was also recognized at the summit.

The two sides reviewed with satisfaction the progress made since the fourth meeting of the JWG-ICC held in Islamabad on 21 January 2024.

The foreign secretary described CPEC as the cornerstone of China-Pakistan economic cooperation as well as a shining symbol of the enduring friendship between the two countries.

The Chinese vice foreign minister highlighted the mutually reinforcing relationship of the five new corridors introduced under CPEC 2.0, namely growth, livelihood, innovation, open and green corridor with Pakistan’s national development framework centered on 5 E’s namely, Exports, E-Pakistan, Energy, Environment and Equity.

The two sides expressed the resolve to deepen cooperation in the fields of media, cultural exchanges and people-to-people linkages to accelerate the building of China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era.

Meanwhile in a fourth round of Pakistan-China Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC), the two countries noted with satisfaction the positive trajectory of bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, in accordance with the consensus reached between the leaderships of the two countries.

The dourth round of BPC was held in Beijing as Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch led the Pakistan delegation, while Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong led the Chinese side, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release, on Saturday.

The two sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues and agreed to further enhance their mutual coordination and consultations, including through high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms.

Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch described Pakistan-China relationship as special and unique and noted that the government and people of Pakistan deeply cherished the enduring friendship between the two countries.

The meeting also reviewed the entire spectrum of practical cooperation between the two countries, with a special focus on the projects driving the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0.

“Both sides agreed to further deepen their mutual partnerships in sectors such as information technology, agriculture and clean energy, driven by the concept of win-win cooperation and pursuit of people centric, inclusive development. The two sides underscored the need to strengthen their mutual coordination at the multilateral forums, including at the United Nations Security Council,” it was further added.

Later, the foreign secretary also held a meeting with Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. They exchanged views on Pakistan-China relations as well as on regional and international issues of common interest.