Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that close Pakistan-China cooperation was a factor of peace and stability in the region and expressed appreciation for China’s support for Pakistan’s role on international and regional issues. The prime minister also underlined the importance of mutual support by China and Pakistan to each other on their respective issues of core interest. He said this while talking to General Han Weiguo, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Ground Forces commander, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s Office. The prime minister congratulated General Han Weiguo on the conferment of the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military). The prime minister recalled his wide-ranging exchange of views with President Xi Jinping in their two recent meetings in Beijing in April 2019 and Bishkek. He underscored that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a flagship project of President Xi’s visionary Belt and Road Initiative and added Pakistan looked forward to also deepening cooperation in socioeconomic development between the two countries in Phase-II of CPEC. General Han Weiguo thanked the prime minister for receiving him and said the conferment of the award was an honour for him. He lauded Pakistan’s successful efforts against terrorism and steps to promote regional peace and stability. General Han also underscored the importance of the time-tested Pakistan-China All Weather Strategic Cooperation Partnership and reaffirmed China’s resolve to deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields and further fortify the China-Pakistan relationship. Earlier, President Dr Arif Alvi conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) upon General Han Weiguo in a special investiture ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. On the occasion, President Dr Arif Alvi congratulated General Han Weiguo and reiterated Pakistan strong resolve to take the bilateral relations between the two countries to new heights in all fields. Later, General Han Weiguo also called on the president. The president said Pakistan and China enjoyed a unique all-weather and time-tested friendship and Pakistan considered China as its “Iron Brother”. While highlighting Pakistan-China friendship, an important cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, the president said defence and economic relations between the two counties were vital for maintaining peace and stability in the region. He highlighted the importance of digital economy and cyber security in today’s world and underscored the need for close cooperation between the two brotherly countries to ward off challenges emerging in cyber field. The president further said that defence and strategic cooperation was the backbone of strategic cooperative partnership and defence authorities of the both countries had maintained close coordination. Frequent high-level exchange of military delegations was a key aspect of our cooperation in this regard, he added. He also underlined the need to further enhance counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries. “Pakistan and China are joined together in a broad-based, long-term ‘all weather strategic cooperative partnership’. Pakistan-China Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation and good neighborly relations has further contributed to the deepening of this relationship. The two sides have a multi-faceted bilateral cooperation in diverse fields such as economic, political, strategic and cultural areas and often share similar views on global issues,” the president said. He reassured that Pakistan strongly adhered to the “One China Policy” and expressed satisfaction over progress of all the ongoing projects initiated under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). General Han Weiguo thanked the president for awarding him the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military).