China and Pakistan have agreed to further bolster their "all-weather friendship," with a particular focus on the timely completion of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his visiting Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari in Beijing, the two sides agreed to "further" deepen high-level mutual trust, security cooperation, and international coordination, as well as contribute "greater" strength to the two countries' common prosperity as well as regional peace and development.
Pakistan reaffirmed its "firm" commitment to the one-China principle, insisting that Taiwan is an "inalienable part" of Chinese territory.
Islamabad will also firmly support Beijing on issues related to Xinjiang, Xizang, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea.
Beijing reiterated its "firm" support for Pakistan's defense of its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its efforts to ensure national security, stability, development, and prosperity.
Pakistan condemned recent terrorist attacks on its soil targeting Chinese personnel, and the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations with a "zero-tolerance attitude, and agreed to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism."
The two allies agreed to promote the implementation of the eight major steps on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation in Pakistan, as well as to jointly build "a growth corridor, a livelihood-enhancing corridor, an innovation corridor, a green corridor, and an open corridor" to create an upgraded version of CPEC.
Recalling the 13th CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, the two sides agreed to use the committee's functions to strengthen idea alignment and action coordination for CPEC development.
They agreed to hold the 14th JCC meeting as early as possible on a mutually agreed date.
Palestine and Kashmir
The two countries also welcomed the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, hoping that it would be effectively implemented, resulting in full and permanent peace in the coastal enclave.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. They also pledged to continue to work with the international community to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a "leftover from history" that must be resolved properly and peacefully in accordance with the United Nations Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements.
They also agreed to maintain "close" communication and coordination on the issue of Afghanistan.
They called on the interim Afghan government to undertake "visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist groups based in Afghanistan, which continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security, and to prevent the use of Afghan territory against other countries."
