ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan on Thursday called on Afghanistan’s administration to take “visible and verifiable” steps to address militant threat, according to a joint statement, as President Asif Ali Zardari discussed enhanced economic collaboration and people-to-people ties during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Zardari is on a five-day visit to Beijing, where he also met Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier and invited him to visit Pakistan. His engagements with Chinese officials come amid Beijing’s growing concerns over the security of its nationals working in Pakistan, many of whom are involved in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and have been targeted in a series of attacks in recent years.
During his meeting with Xi, Zardari acknowledged that Pakistan’s relationship with China had “gone through ups and downs” but said it would not be undermined by militant violence.
Most of the attacks against the Chinese workers have been attributed to groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which Pakistan says operate from neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation.
“The two sides [Pakistan and China] agreed to maintain close communication and coordination on the issue of Afghanistan, and play a constructive role in helping Afghanistan achieve stable development and integrate into the international community,” said the joint statement released by Pakistan’s foreign office.
“They called on the Interim Afghan Government to take 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,” it added.
The statement also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Chinese workers, calling it the country’s “foremost responsibility.”
“The Pakistani side reiterated its strongest condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Pakistan involving Chinese personnel,” it said, adding that the government would continue to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“It will also further increase input into security, and take targeted and enhanced measures to effectively ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the statement said.
Separately, the Pakistani president met with Chinese Premier Li at the Great Hall of the People, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to deepening its “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” with Beijing.
“The President highlighted the pivotal role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in promoting regional connectivity and economic growth and expressed appreciation for China’s continued support toward Pakistan’s development agenda,” a statement from Pakistan’s presidency said.
Discussions between the two leaders focused on the expansion of cooperation under “CPEC 2.0,” with an emphasis on renewable energy, science and technology, infrastructure and agriculture.
They also explored ways to enhance trade and investment through business-to-business linkages.
Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges to build a “China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era,” the statement added.
