Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday. Photo: Courtesy of Chinese Foreign Ministry

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is accompanying Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on his visit to China, on Wednesday. Wang said the time-tested China-Pakistan friendship is a valuable strategic asset for the two countries and vowed to raise their security cooperation to a new level.

Prime Minister Shahbaz is one of the first foreign leaders to visit China after the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Wang said that this fully demonstrates the particularity of China-Pakistan relations and the important position of Pakistan in China's overall diplomacy.

China's development is a growing force for world peace and a stronger factor for global stability. In this process, China-Pakistan relations will gain new impetus and raise to a new level, Wang stressed.

Wang thanked Pakistan for its long-term firm support on issues concerning China's core interests. "We will continue to speak up on behalf of Pakistan and firmly support its legitimate aspirations and legitimate rights and interests."

Wang pointed out that China will continue to provide aid and assistance for Pakistan's post-disaster reconstruction and is willing to work with Pakistan to promote the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

In April, a suicide bomber from a Pakistani separatist group killed four people, including three Chinese nationals, in an attack on a minibus carrying staff from the Confucius Institute at Karachi University.

President Arif Alvi strongly condemned the attack, saying that Pakistan will spare no effort to combat terrorism and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country.

Wang said on Wednesday that it is hoped that the two sides will raise their security cooperation to a new level and provide a more comprehensive and reliable security environment for Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.

During their meeting, Bilawal congratulated on the success of the 20th CPC National Congress, saying that the blueprint for China's development drawn up at the Congress will inject strong positive energy into promoting world peace and development.

Pakistan is committed to continuously injecting new impetus into Pakistan-China relations and pushing bilateral relations to a new level, Bilawal said. "Pakistan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports China on all issues concerning China's core interests."

Global Times