China, Pakistan to carry forward all-weather friendship: Chinese FM

China and Pakistan will maintain close high-level exchanges and carry forward their unbreakable all-weather friendship, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

In a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Samarkand, during which the two leaders conducted in-depth and friendly exchanges, jointly charting the course for the development of bilateral relations and injecting strong impetus into China-Pakistan all-weather friendship.

China, Wang said, is ready to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with high quality, build flagship projects along the Belt and Road, and accelerate the building of a closer China-Pakistan community of a shared future.

He added that at present, Pakistan is fighting severe floods and is faced with complex and arduous tasks of post-disaster reconstruction.

Noting the Chinese government and people will always stand by the Pakistani side, Wang expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Pakistani government and with the united efforts of people of all walks of life, Pakistan will surely overcome its difficulties soon, achieve more vigorous, safer and sustained development, and play a more important role in regional and international affairs.

Wang expressed the hope that the Pakistani side will well implement the upgraded protection mechanism to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan and provide a solid guarantee for the practical cooperation between the two sides.

Calling the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a historic milestone, Zardari said he firmly believes the congress will be a complete success and help China achieve greater prosperity.

Pakistan has always regarded its relationship with China as a cornerstone of its foreign policy, which has become a common understanding of the Pakistani society, he said.

Zardari expressed his gratitude for China's support for Pakistan's fight against COVID-19 and floods.

The Pakistani side is ready to work with China to follow through with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, keep close strategic collaboration, consolidate the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and deepen the all-round cooperation between the two countries, he said.

Pakistan will continue to unswervingly uphold the one-China policy, and firmly stand by the Chinese side on all issues concerning China's core interests, including those related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Zardari added.