BEIJING: China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday told Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that he was “deeply concerned” about the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan but assured him that Beijing is ready to “inject new impetus” into their all-weather cooperative strategic partnership.
Xi and Sharif reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Sharif is on a two-day visit to China where he is expected to meet the top Chinese leadership and sign multiple agreements.
Xi’s concerns about the security of Chinese nationals come in the backdrop of a terror attack that killed three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver outside Karachi University’s Confucius Institute in April this year.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility.
In July, 2021, a blast hit a bus carrying workers to an under-construction dam in northern Pakistan, killing 13 people including nine Chinese nationals.
“I am deeply concerned about the security of Chinese people in Pakistan and hope that Pakistan will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese institutions and personnel going to Pakistan for cooperation,” Xi was quoted as telling Sharif in an official statement released by Xinhua news agency.
The two leaders discussed bilateral projects at length.
China and Pakistan should move forward more effectively with the construction of CPEC as well as accelerate the construction of infrastructure for the Gwadar sea port, which is located in Balochistan, Xi said.
Many of the Chinese development projects in Pakistan are part of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Xi added that the two countries should work together to create conditions for the early implementation of the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway upgrading project and the Karachi Circular Railway project.
China will also export technology for a 160 km/hr high-speed railway train to Pakistan, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.
“China has always viewed China-Pakistan relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, and has always placed Pakistan in priority in our neighbouring diplomacy,” Xi said.
Xi said China will “firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, development interests and national dignity, as well as in achieving stability, solidarity in development and prosperity”.
On his part, Sharif said that “…deepening Pakistan China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and the consensus of all sectors of society”.
“The two leaders discussed cooperation across a range of issues, including defence, trade and investment, agriculture, health, education, green energy, science and technology, and disaster preparedness,” the Associated Press of Pakistan said in a report.