Lahore: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the commitment to expedite economic partnership projects with China, stating that there is no room for politics in relations with a long-standing friend like China.
During a meeting in Lahore with a seven-member delegation of journalists who recently returned from an official visit to China at the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association, the Prime Minister emphasized the deep-rooted friendship between Pakistan and China, which has supported Pakistan in every difficult time.
He stressed that all stakeholders should set aside politics and focus on national development projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He mentioned that whenever given the opportunity to serve the nation, he has pledged to focus all his efforts on the country’s development and expressed gratitude for the exemplary hospitality received from Chinese leadership and people during the recent visit.
The Prime Minister noted that he is personally overseeing the progress of the memorandums of understanding and agreements made during the recent visit to China and ensuring all necessary measures for the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
He reiterated that there is no room for politics in relations with a longstanding friend like China.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that progress is being made swiftly on the second phase of CPEC.
The recent visit of Chinese experts to Pakistan has led to positive developments in cooperation across various sectors.
During the meeting with the delegation, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar was also present.
The journalists’ delegation included Salman Ghani, Amir Meer, Shiraz Hassan, Khizr Hayat, Khalid Hussain, Azam Malik, and Motiur Rahman.
The delegation briefed the Prime Minister on their experiences during the China visit and their views on Pakistan-China relations. They reported that China values its brotherly relationship with Pakistan highly.
The delegation also shared that the Chinese officials expressed satisfaction with the current pace of Chinese investment in Pakistan, especially on CPEC projects, and praised the government’s actions under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership.
Furthermore, the delegation noted that during their visit, the general sentiment about the economic partnership between China and Pakistan, and especially CPEC, was one of warmth and enthusiasm from Chinese officials.