ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will continue to work with China in countering terrorism and extremism, while expanding cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, livestock, industry, mining and new technologies, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday.
The statement came after his meeting with Chen Xiaojiang, the Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in Urumqi, at which the president reaffirmed Pakistan-China friendship as the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.
Despite massive investments, Chinese projects and nationals have been hit by militant attacks in recent years, with Beijing pressing Islamabad to step up security of Chinese nationals and initiatives in the South Asian country.
“Pakistan will continue to cooperate with China to eliminate terrorism and extremism,” President Zardari was quoted as saying by his office. “Pakistan and China will increase cooperation in the fields of agriculture, industry, minerals and new technology.”
