PAKISTAN and China have always truly proved to be true Iron Brothers standing by each other in the hour of trial. The visit of President Arif Alvi to China was also an expression of Pakistan’s solidarity with the great Chinese nation which has resiliently and with determination managed to control the Corona Virus to a great deal. The visit also provided an opportunity to the Pakistani side to learn from the best Chinese experiences to tackle the deadly virus back at home.
In fact the talks of President Alvi with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang were all inclusive as matters pertaining to bilateral cooperation in different areas including the progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project were also discussed in detail. The two sides were unanimous that the next phase of the CPEC would promote industrialization and socio-economic development in Pakistan. Such high level exchanges must continue as these provide an opportunity to both sides to explore new avenues and areas of cooperation. The people of Pakistan are greatly expecting the visit of Chinese President Xi in the next few months and we are confident that the visit will help provide further impetus to the mega economic corridor project. China has always looked after Pakistan’s national interests including in the FATF. During talks with President Alvi, the Chinese side reiterated that Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Security Council Resolutions and bilateral agreements. China is amongst the few countries that has always supported Pakistan’s stance on the outstanding Kashmir dispute. It is because of Beijing’s support that the UN Security Council also held a number of briefings on Kashmir in the recent past after a lapse of about fifty years, proving once again that Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute. The people of Pakistan and Kashmir will never forget this unwavering Chinese support. We are confident that both the countries will continue to collaborate in future as well at the international forums to highlight the plight of oppressed Kashmiri people who have been put under complete military lockdown since August last year.
