Pakistan and China have agreed on the need for maintaining a strategic balance in South Asia, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his 11-member delegation concluded an official visit to Islamabad.
Summing up the Chinese foreign minister's visit, the Pakistani foreign ministry Saturday said this was the first official visit of Wang Yi to Pakistan after he took over the post, Daily Times reported.
The main purpose of his visit was to finalise the upcoming tour of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan at an early date this year.
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain, in his meeting with Yi, stated that Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with China.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his meeting with Wang Yi, said the leadership of both countries was committed to further strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership.
He noted that wide ranging economic cooperation between Pakistan and China has entered a new dimension.
It was vital for the two countries to translate their shared vision for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a reality, he said.
Wang Yi agreed that there was a need for speedy implementation of CPEC and other vital projects, which would transform the entire region.
Sharif said that friendship with China was the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy, emphasising that China has always been a sincere friend of Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan was eagerly looking forward to welcoming President Xi to Pakistan, adding that the government believed this important visit would further strengthen the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries bringing them closer to achieving the dream of building a "Pakistan-China Community of Shared Destiny".
Yi added that during the visit of the Chinese president, both sides would hold in-depth exchanges on all matters of mutual interest, including economic, security and regional developments in the backdrop of the changing international scenario.
He said that Pakistan and China were iron brothers and frequent bilateral exchanges have further strengthened this relationship.
Wang said the menace of terrorism and extremism was the common enemy of both the countries and China would continue its cooperation with Pakistan to successfully meet this challenge.
