Pak-China ties not against any country, says Shaukat Aziz

BEIJING: Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz said on Sunday that the relations between Pakistan and China had stood the test of time and the two countries were looking to deepen that relationship through the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative.

"The two countries have maintained a close friendship based on mutual respect, peace and harmony and the relationship is not against any third country," Aziz told 'China Daily' on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

He said the two countries already had cooperated closely on multiple infrastructure projects under the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative and would work on more projects taking place in the future.

Shaukat said the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative had strengthened the links between China and Pakistan in the areas of telecommunication, transport and digitalisation. Aziz also expressed high expectations of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who he sees as a "great leader" and "man of peace", doing what it takes to move China forward.