Friends for all seasons In their first official talks since the new government took office in Islamabad, China and Pakistan reached an “important consensus” to deepen their strategic cooperation, as well as steps to beef up the security of a large number of Chinese personnel working on CPEC projects in the face of recurring militant attacks.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held his first video call meeting with Pakistan’s new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during which they discussed a variety of issues.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, this was the first meeting between Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers since the new government led by Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in and Bilawal was appointed Foreign Minister.
According to him, the two foreign ministers reached an important agreement on deepening our all-weather strategic cooperative partnerships and political cooperation.
In addition, the two discussed how to strengthen security for Chinese citizens and institutions in Pakistan, he said, referring to a recent spate of attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing at Karachi University that killed three Chinese and injured another.
Close ties between Pakistan and China have remained consistent over the last four decades, despite periodic political crises in Islamabad that have resulted in the change of governments, including those led by the military rulers.
