Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday praised Pakistan’s constructive contribution to ongoing efforts aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East during his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently on a four-day official visit to China.
During the talks, President Xi described the relationship between China and Pakistan as a longstanding and “unbreakable” friendship, reaffirming that Beijing places great importance on its partnership with Islamabad within its regional diplomacy framework.
He also referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz as an “old friend,” reflecting the close ties shared by the two countries.
The meeting took place shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz met Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the venue, PM Shehbaz received a warm welcome from Premier Li before both sides participated in delegation-level discussions covering bilateral cooperation and regional matters.
During the official reception ceremony, the national anthems of Pakistan and China were played while the two leaders introduced members of their respective delegations. Prime Minister Shehbaz was also presented with a guard of honour.
PM Shehbaz introduced Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and other senior officials from Pakistan’s delegation, while Premier Li presented members of the Chinese cabinet.
In his remarks, Shehbaz highlighted the importance of joint Pakistan-China efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East. He thanked President Xi and the Chinese leadership for supporting Pakistan’s ceasefire initiatives.
The PM reiterated Pakistan’s support for President Xi’s four-point proposal intended to advance regional peace and stability. He said the ongoing tensions in the Middle East were affecting economies worldwide, including Pakistan’s.
Premier Li, in his comments, said Pakistan had maintained close coordination with China and played a positive role in encouraging regional peace. He reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to further strengthening traditional ties and broadening cooperation with Pakistan. He added that the upcoming meeting between President Xi and PM Shehbaz would provide strategic direction for enhancing bilateral relations.
Shehbaz expressed condolences over the deadly coal mine explosion in China’s Shanxi province and said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the affected families.
Referring to the wider regional situation, he described the current global environment as a “critical phase” and stated that Pakistan had played a sincere role in facilitating communication between the United States and Iran.
During the high-level engagements, Pakistan and China signed 15 agreements and memorandums of understanding covering multiple sectors, including the economy, climate and environment, agriculture, trade, media, science and technology, education, and counterterrorism.
PM Shehbaz and Premier Li attended the signing ceremony, where officials from both countries exchanged documents.
Additional MoUs covered conformity assessment, media collaboration, and cooperation between the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Pakistan’s National School of Public Policy.
The ceremony also included agreements on documentary co-production, scientific and technological exchanges, free trade and multilateral cooperation, counterterrorism equipment support, and human resource development.
Further agreements were signed to enhance cooperation in the agricultural sector and strengthen academic collaboration between China Foreign Affairs University and Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy.
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