Daily Times

China Thursday said it believes that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to Beijing will inject a new impetus into bilateral partnership between the two all-weather friends.

“There are a lot of fruitful outcomes from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit. This will be a new impetus into our bilateral partnership,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Geng Shuang while during his regular media briefing.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday wrapped up his visit to China during which he held important meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other top leadership, and discussed bilateral strategic and economic cooperation besides attending the closing ceremony of International Horticultural Exhibition. He also met with prominent Chinese entrepreneurs and businessmen and offered them incentives for investment in projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The spokesperson said that China pays high importance to the meetings between Prime Minister Imran Khan and China’s top leadership. “President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and National People’s Congress (NPC) Chairman Li Zhanshu met and talked with Prime Minister Imran Khan and exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest,” he said, and remarked that both sides believe that a close exchange of high-level officials and closer strategic coordination and communication is very important.

He said the two countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and other multilateral mechanisms to uphold regional peace and stability. “We also agreed to enhance our cooperation in UN, SCO and other multilateral mechanisms to uphold regional peace and stability,” he added.

About the economic cooperation, he said that both sides agreed to advance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). They also agreed to build CPEC into an exemplary and demonstrative project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), he said. “We will enhance our cooperation in infrastructure, economy, trade industrial capacity and other areas, so that we can achieve win-win results” he said. The two countries signed many cooperation documents including those in infrastructure building, law-enforcement, security, culture, education and media, he added. In response to a question regarding President Xi’s forthcoming visit to India starting from Friday and the possibility of talks on Kashmir issue during Xi-Modi meeting, he said that China’s position on the Kashmir issue is consistent and clear. “On President Xi and Prime Minister Modi’s meeting, we will release information in due course,” he added.

To a question about pre-trial permission granted to Huawei, a Chinese telecom giant, by Indian government before President Xi’s visit, he said that Huawei had been conducting business in India, making contributions to the local community and economy. On the 5G Network issue, China believes that the Indian side will make independent and objective decision and provide a fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for Chinese companies, he added.