Xi Jinping Congratulates Asif Ali Zardari: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday (March 10) congratulated Asif Ali Zardari on being elected the President of Pakistan, saying that the ‘steel-like friendship’ between the two countries is the choice of history and in view of the current changes in the world, these relations need to be strengthened. ‘Strategic importance has further increased’.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was on Saturday elected the 14th President of the country and is the first civilian to hold the post for the second time. Earlier, he had held this post from 2008 to 2013. Zardari (68) was the joint candidate of PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
China-Pakistan are good friends, good partners and good brothers – Xi Jinping
According to state news agency ‘Xinhua’, Xi said in his message to Zardari, “China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers.” The steel-like friendship between the two countries is a choice of history and a priceless treasure for both.
“The two countries have maintained close high-level contacts in recent years, supporting each other on issues related to their core interests and major concerns, making significant contributions to the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said. Have achieved results and strengthened bilateral relations.
India has raised objections to the US $ 60 billion CPEC connecting China’s Xinjiang with Gwadar port in Balochistan as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK).
‘Strategic importance of China-Pakistan relations further increased’
Xi said in his message that as the world is going through rapid changes that have never been seen before, the strategic importance of China-Pakistan relations has increased even more.
He said he greatly respects the development of China-Pakistan relations and looks forward to further strengthening the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, enhancing practical cooperation in various fields, further strengthening the all-time strategic partnership between China and Pakistan, and building a new era. We stand ready to work together with Zardari to accelerate the construction of a China-Pakistan community with even closer ties and a shared future.
Xi Jinping also congratulated Shahbaz Sharif
Earlier, Xi had congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on being elected the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Amidst the chaos and severe economic crisis in Pakistan, China is seeing the return of PML-N and PPP to power as a relief.
All three have close ties with Chinese leaders and strengthening strategic ties with China is widely seen as a strategic alliance against India. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan China had an uneasy relationship with the government, which was blamed for the slow pace of CPEC.
