Pakistan, China enjoy unique friendship: president

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Arif Alvi said on Wednesday that Pakistan and China enjoy a unique friendship as all-weather strategic cooperative partners.

"The bilateral ties between Pakistan and China are of special importance ... Both countries are close, trusted friends and iron brothers," the president said during a meeting here.

Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, bilateral relations between the two countries have touched new heights, he said.

"A network of roads has been laid across Pakistan under the CPEC, whereas infrastructure projects of strategic importance were also included in the mega project," Alvi said.

Also, China is the largest trading partner of Pakistan and is an important source of foreign direct investment in the country, he added.

Alvi said that the cultural and educational exchanges are important for the strong friendship between the two countries, adding that Pakistan and China are taking steps to deepen the bond between the people of the two countries.

Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.