Will work closely to deepen all-weather strategic ties with China: New Pak President Zardari assures Xi

Pakistan's newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday promised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that he would work closely with him to deepen the all-weather strategic partnership with Beijing and in the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Zardari, the husband of late Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto was elected as the 14th President of Pakistan on Saturday, becoming the only civilian president of the coup-prone country for a second time.

Responding to Xi's congratulatory message to him on his re-election as the President of Pakistan, Zardari said, "Our solid friendship serves as an anchor for regional peace, stability and development." He emphasised that Pakistan and China shared a unique bond forged in the crucible of history and nurtured by mutual respect, understanding, and common views on all global issues.

Zardari expressed his commitment to ''working closely with the Chinese President to deepen practical cooperation, strengthen the all-weather partnership, and foster a shared community for the benefit of the two countries.'' ''Pakistan and China were not merely neighbours, but iron-clad brothers fully committed to the success of our All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.'' Zardari noted with satisfaction that Pakistan and China had made significant progress in the diverse fields of bilateral cooperation, particularly in developing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said President Xi's support would remain instrumental in achieving the CPEC's continued development and meeting the two peoples' shared objectives of progress and prosperity.

In his message to Zardari on Sunday, soon after his re-election, Xi said ''China and Pakistan are good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers, adding that the two countries' iron-clad friendship is a choice of history and a precious treasure of the two peoples.'' President Xi said that ''the two countries have in recent years maintained close high-level exchanges, supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, achieved fruitful results in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and maintained a high level of development of bilateral relations.'' The USD 60 billion CPEC is a 3,000-km Chinese infrastructure network project under construction in Pakistan. It connects strategic Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, giving Beijing an opening to the Arabian Sea. India is opposed to the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

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