President Xi hopes for Pakistan stability, development

BEIJING, May 14 -- China sincerely hopes that Pakistan will achieve stability and development, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday as he met with Pakistan's Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari in Beijing.
"China and Pakistan are all-weather and all-round strategic partners," Xi said during their meeting, highlighting the two countries' high degree of trust and close communication on many major issues.

Xi said the Chinese and Pakistani people feel intimate with each other naturally and the China-Pakistan relationship is a good example of state-to-state relationships.

Expressing his appreciation for Pakistan's consistent support on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns, Xi said the Chinese side attaches great importance to cementing traditional friendship and boosting practical cooperation with Pakistan.

The Chinese side stands ready to maintain the momentum of high-level interactions and actively push ahead with the construction of the China-Pakistan economic corridor to benefit the people of the two countries and to advance the construction of a Silk Road economic belt and a 21st-century maritime Silk Road, said the president.

"The Chinese side sincerely hopes that Pakistan will achieve stability and development," Xi said, adding that China is willing to enhance security cooperation with Pakistan and work with the south Asian country to combat the three evil forces of separatism, extremism and terrorism.

During the meeting, Xi also pledged to increase exchanges between the two countries on governance, urging the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Pakistani Senate to enhance interactions to make more contribution to the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Lauding the time-tested friendship between the two nations, Bukhari said the Pakistani side admires China's development and supports the Chinese people's efforts to realize the Chinese dream.

The important proposal raised by the Chinese side on the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st-century maritime Silk Road provides new opportunities for Pakistan and other countries along the two roads, he said.

Pakistan looks forward to closer cooperation with China, said the senate chairman.

During the meeting, Bukhari condemned the terrorist attack that happened in China more than two months ago, adding that Pakistan will boost anti-terrorism cooperation with the Chinese side.

Bukhari also pledged that the Pakistani side will take effective measures to ensure Chinese companies and citizens' safety in Pakistan.