Sir: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has quite rightly and warmly welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks of terming Pakistan a pillar of regional peace and stability. He observed President Xi’s leadership and vision is a source of inspiration and his Belt and Road Initiative of development and connectivity will change the destiny of the region in due course of time. The prime minister said this when Vice-Chairman Central Military Commission of China General Zhang Youxia along with a delegation called on him in Islamabad the other day. According to the reports in the media, PM Abbasi welcomed General Zhang Youxia to Pakistan, his first foreign destination, and expressed the hope that his visit will further strengthen the existing strategic relations and multi-faceted cooperation between time-test all wealth friends Pakistan and China and extended greetings to the Chinese President and the Chinese Premier and extended invitation to the Chinese leadership to visit Pakistan. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the thriving Pak-China relations in all fields, hoped the multi-faceted strategic cooperation including the security and defence ties between the time-tested friends will further strengthen for the shared objective of peace and development in the region as ties between the two countries are aimed at changing the destiny of the region. General Zhang Youxia appreciated the huge sacrifices which Pakistan has made in the war against terrorism and for peace in the region, immense sacrifices made by the people and armed forces of Pakistan deserve to be fully recognized by the international community and expressing satisfaction over the existing level of defence cooperation and military relations of the two countries, he hoped that various international for a including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will help further cementing these ties and security cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad. Trust-worthy mutually beneficial relations between China and Pakistan are being further promoted and strengthened with the implementation of the great game changer China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects across the country Muhammad Murtaza Zeeshan Lahore Published in Daily Times, May 21st 2018.