Hope Pak, India Can Meet Each Other Halfway: Xi

Agencies

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday and expressed hope that Pakistan and India can meet each other halfway to improve their strained relations following the Pulwama attack by a JeM suicide bomber.

Both leaders also exchanged views on the situations in South Asia, an official Chinese statement in Beijing said about the meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Khan.

The India-Pakistan relations reportedly figured prominently in the meeting. Mr. Xi expressed hope that Pakistan and India can meet each other halfway and promote the stabilisation and improvement of India-Pakistan relations, it said.

Mr. Khan arrived in China on April 25 and attended China’s 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held on April 26-27.

The BRF meeting was held to highlight the achievement of the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) started by Mr. Xi in 2013 in which $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an important component.

India skipped the meeting for the second time, protesting over the CPEC which is being laid through Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK).

The Sunday’s meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Khan was regarded significant as it was held in the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the February 14 Pulwama attack which killed 40 Indian CRPF soldiers.

China had sent its Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to visit Pakistan in March as part of its efforts to ease the tensions.

Pakistan-China sign agreements

Prior to his meeting with Mr. Xi, Mr. Khan called on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during which the two countries signed a number of agreements. Earlier, he met Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan.

During Sunday’s meeting, Mr. Xi expressed China’s firm support to Pakistan to further the bilateral ties between the all-weather allies.

“Pakistan is China’s all-weather strategic cooperative partner. China and Pakistan are ‘iron friends’ and have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests.” Mr. Xi said.

China takes Pakistan as a priority in its diplomacy, he said.

“No matter how international and regional situations change, China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and national dignity, choosing its own development path suited to its national conditions, combating terrorist and extremist forces, striving for a sound external security environment, and playing a constructive role in international and regional affairs,” Mr. Xi said.

He said major progress had been made in bilateral cooperation in the construction of the CPEC, especially in areas such as finance, trade and other aspects, the statement said.

“In the next stage, China and Pakistan should make more efforts to advance the all-weather strategic cooperation,” Mr. Xi said.

Deepen high-level contacts

He called on both sides to deepen high-level contacts and mutual support, strengthen strategic communication and promote high-quality cooperation in production capacity, infrastructure construction, people’s livelihood and trade within the framework of the BRI.

Khan said the CPEC had played an important role in Pakistan’s economic development and the improvement of people’s lives.

He said he believed more and more countries will support and participate in the cooperation under the BRI.

Pakistan is willing to consolidate its traditional friendship with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation and enhance communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs, Mr. Khan was quoted as saying in the statement.

During his meeting, Mr. Khan spoke a few times about India-Pakistan relations and the prospects of peace between the two countries.

Addressing Pakistan and China Investment Forum in Beijing on Sunday, he expressed hope that the relations between the two neighbours will improve after the Indian general elections.

“We want to build a civilized relationship with our Eastern neighbour and there is a possibility that if we can resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue, things can improve,” he was quoted by state-run Radio Pakistan as saying. (PTI)