PM Khan’s visit to China has given fresh impetus to bilateral relations
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Prime Minister Imran Khan visited China earlier this month to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics and held substantive talks on bilateral, regional and global issues with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
The meetings were marked by traditional warmth, mutual trust and commonality of views that characterize the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. The leaders reaffirmed that close strategic ties and deep-rooted friendship between Pakistan and China are ‘time-tested and timeless.’ The bilateral relationship serves the interest of both countries and was the historic choice of both peoples.
Historically, all visits to and from China at the leadership levels have been a source of good news for the people of Pakistan. The high level of trust and complete, unconditional and tangible support for Pakistan by China over the past more than seventy years, in all domains, is exceptional and has won the confidence of the people of Pakistan in China’s sincere friendship. It is this people centered goodwill and affection that forms the bedrock of Pakistan-China relations.
Since the Prime Minister’s last visit to Beijing in 2019, the regional and global situation have witnessed several twists and turns, adding to the security concerns of Pakistan and China and heightening of tensions and anxieties in the region and the world. An in-depth exchange of views culminating in a clear and solid joint statement reflecting commonality of approach and charting the course for mutual cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral planes is a positive outcome that will serve the interests of both countries and the cause of regional and global stability and peace.
Pakistan and China agree that the way forward is to avoid geo-political tensions and seek win-win avenues for regional and global cooperation.
Salman Bashir
Both sides reiterated their support on issues concerning each other's core interests. The Pakistan side expressed its commitment to One-China Policy and support for China on Taiwan, South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. The Chinese side reaffirmed its support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and security, as well as promoting its socio-economic development and prosperity. Both sides agreed to continue the momentum in defense cooperation at various levels between the armed forces of Pakistan and China. They underscored that stronger defense and security cooperation between Pakistan and China was an important factor of peace and stability in the region.
Both sides reiterated that a peaceful and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all parties and emphasized the importance of pursuit of dialogue and resolution of all outstanding disputes to promote regional cooperation and advance the goals of lasting peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation. China’s principled and explicit support on the Kashmir issue is timely and significant as is its exhortation for resolution of all outstanding issues between Pakistan and India peacefully by resuming dialogue.
Regarding Afghanistan, Pakistan and China agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity and progress in the region. Notably both sides expressed readiness to discuss with Afghanistan the holding of the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue. In a major and consequential gesture, Pakistan and China also expressed their readiness to discuss with Afghanistan the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan. This holds immense potential for overcoming the challenges that Afghanistan faces due to over four decades of war and for opening new horizons for greater regional economic and trade cooperation. China will also host the next meeting of the immediate neighbors of Afghanistan in Beijing shortly.
Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation across all areas including in the fields of trade, infrastructure, industrial development, agriculture modernization, scientific and technological cooperation and socio-economic well-being of local people. Noting close bilateral cooperation in the areas of health, environment and ICT, the two sides agreed to launch the China-Pakistan health, industry, trade, green and digital corridors.
Both sides observed that CPEC was a win-win enterprise and pivotal for regional prosperity and enhanced connectivity. As an open and inclusive initiative, third parties were welcome to benefit from investment opportunities in CPEC SEZs. This is entirely in line with Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics and should put to rest unwarranted criticism of CPEC by certain quarters.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China has given a new political impetus to working on the cooperative economic projects between the two countries and should also bring to close doubts being created, by certain circles in Pakistan, about CPEC and its future orientations. Pakistan and China agree that the way forward is to avoid geo-political tensions and seek win -win avenues for regional and global cooperation to advance peace and prosperity for all peoples of the world.
*Salman Bashir is a Pakistani diplomat who served as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and as High Commissioner of Pakistan to India.
Twitter: @Salman_B_PK
