Pakistan, China stand steady on bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Tuesday once again reaffirmed their bilateral ties which they termed “Pak-China all-weather strategic partnership and cornerstone of bilateral relations between the two states”.

The commitment came during a meeting at the Foreign Office when Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in which both countries discussed the CPEC which they said was a “significant project”. “Both sides expressed commitment to elevating bilateral ties to new heights, further solidifying their strategic partnership. They reviewed the progress of the CPEC 2.0 -- a significant project aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and regional connectivity,” said the Foreign Office in a statement.

The Dar-Jiang meeting is significant as it comes immediately after a report in The Guardian newspaper on Pak-China relations targeting the CPEC. Monday saw both Pakistan and China rejecting as “baseless and unfounded” and “completely untrue” the Guardian report. “China is Pakistan’s all-weather strategic partner. This relationship is characterized by mutual trust, shared values, support on issues of core concern and commitment to regional and global stability,” the FO said.

The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad in a rebuttal to The Guardian report had pointed out in a statement: “China is committed to continuous engagement with Pakistan. China has always supported the construction of Gwadar Port and the development of Balochistan.”

While China has not publicly commented on the Mohsin Naqvi allegedly attending an anti-China group event, the Foreign Office rejected it as did the interior minister himself. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, it remains a core principle of our foreign policy to support One China. There’s One China, and this principle enjoys unwavering support of Pakistan,” the FO said when the matter of the interior minister was raised.

Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar accepted an invitation from Foreign Minister Wang Yi to attend a high-level UN Security Council event, “Practicing Multilateralism, Reforming and Improving Global Governance”, to be hosted by China under its UNSC presidency on February 18 in New York. The invite was extended to Dar by Jian on behalf of Beijing. “The deputy prime minister accepted the invitation, underscoring Pakistan’s commitment to multilateral cooperation,” said the Foreign Office.