Muhammad Asad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will continue to support China on all core issues of its national interests as the Pakistan-China friendship is irreversible. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warmly welcomed his Chinese counterpart’s first-ever visit to Pakistan and underscored the support both nations had for each other on issues of core interests in both bilateral and multilateral forums and appreciated China’s steadfast support to Pakistan in all issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
While addressing a joint press stakeout along with the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang following the fourth round of Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad on Saturday, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed the Pak-China friendship irreversible because bilateral ties between the two nations strengthened over the past years and enjoyed consensus across the generations and political divides.
During the dialogue, Pakistan and China reiterated their commitment to the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has accelerated socioeconomic development, job creation and improved peoples’ livelihoods in Pakistan. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed the CPEC a win-win initiative opened to all investors around the globe and expressed profound gratitude to China for its generous and timely assistance to Pakistan as the South Asian nation continued to grapple with the headwinds of the global economy in recent years.
While commenting on the Afghanistan issue, Foreign Minister Bilawal said that peace and stability in Afghanistan remain important to the region and Pakistan was ready to work with all stakeholders for a peaceful, stable, and united Afghanistan. According to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, there was a huge potential for regional cooperation and development between Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Central Asian States but a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was vital to unlocking that potential in the broader South Asian region.
Bilawal termed terrorism the core issue and a red line for Pakistan which poses a serious threat to regional peace and secuirty and a real stumbling block in the way of the progress of the people of Afghanistan. Foreign minister Bhutto mentioned that Pakistan was very keen on actually working on many projects, particularly within the SCO format including the CASA 1000, trans-Usbeskistan-Afghanistan and Pakistan railway line, and others if the secuirty concerns associated with those projects were resolved in due course of time. Bilawal categorially mentioned that Pakistan was of the view that the issue of terrorism emanating out of Afghanistan must be isolated from the geopolitical squabbles of our time if this issue becomes a geopolitical football then there will be a serious challenge in the way of resolving this crisis.
While Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that Pakistan is a good neighbor, good friend and great partner of China and Beijing sincerely hopes that the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus to uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so that it could focus on growing the economy, improving peoples lives and bring the country into a fast track toward development and rejuvenation.
Accoridng to him, China is closely looking at the social and foreign exchange pressure on Pakistan and Beijing will take all possible solutions and do its best to help Pakistan address such pressure. Foreign Minister Qin Gang appreciated Pakistan’s concrete assistance for China at all global forums and assured that Pakistan’s iron friend China will always work with Pakistan through the platform of CPEC, to align bilateral development strategies, share China’s development opportunities, and build an even closer China Pakistan community with a shared future.
While responding to a media query regarding Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Gang noted that China and Pakistan are ready to actively support and help Afghanistan with its economic reconstruction and hope that the Taliban would embrace inclusive governance and moderate policies and maintain friendly relations with its neighbors. Accoridng to him, it is important that the Taliban take the security concerns of its neighbors seriously and take stronger measures to counter the various terrorist forces within Afghanistan.
Friendly ties between the three countries in the spirit of mutual respect, friendship, and mutual benefit, would help extend the CPEC towards Afghanistan, will promote our exchanges on cooperation in trade investment, and will enhance people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges between our three countries, added Chinese Foreign Minister.
To another question, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan has grown rapidly in recent years, as China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner one of our largest export markets, and a major source of foreign direct investment through the CPEC. He rejected the notions of so-called debt sustainability or debt trap propaganda that had been continuously propagated agaisnt Chinese investments and financial support to Pakistan. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hailed the unique and time-tested Pak-China friendship and expressed deep gratitude for the Chinese sincere friendship.
