BEIJING:Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday called for pushing forward the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi made the remarks in his meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who along with a high-level delegation is in Beijing to attend the Belt and Road Forum, which is focused on boosting regional development through China’s new Silk Road plan.The Chinese president welcomed Sharif and his delegation upon their arrival at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.A Radio Pakistan report said President Xi in his meeting with Sharif expressed satisfaction over the pace of bilateral Sino-Pak ties and communicated his resolve to further strengthen the relationship through increased cooperation in various fields.Pakistan and China have more potential to cement bilateral cooperation regarding implementation of CPEC and other regional connectivity projects, the report quoted Xi as saying.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who attended the meeting along with the four chief ministers, said Pakistan would support China in the promotion of its ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative.He said CPEC is a core component of OBOR plan, and the Pakistani government is making “strenuous efforts” for speedy implementation of CPEC projects.Sharif congratulated the Chinese president on hosting the Belt and Road Forum, saying the participation of a large number of world leaders in the summit is a “testimony of China’s growing stature in the international community”.Pakistan and China earlier inked a number of agreements aimed at boosting cooperation in various sectors between the two countries, Radio Pakistan reported.The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Federal ministers and the chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhunkhwa and Balochistan were also present on the occasion.
According to Radio Pakistan, the agreements signed by Chinese and Pakistani officials on Saturday include:
