China pushes for ‘upgraded version' of CPEC in Pakistan
Listen to article
The Chinese foreign minister has praised the 'ironclad' friendship between China and Pakistan and reiterated his country's firm support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, combating terrorism, and pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.
'China will continue to support Pakistan in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs,' said Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Wednesday.
Wang added that both countries should work toward an 'upgraded version' of CPEC, expanding cooperation into areas such as industry, agriculture, energy, mineral resources, human resource development, counter-terrorism, and security.
The statement was released after high-level talks between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the country's foreign minister, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Wednesday.
According to the statement, China and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The discussions emphasised bilateral cooperation in security, economic development, and regional stability, while also highlighting shared goals under the CPEC and the vision of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
Deputy PM Dar also reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for the one-China principle and expressed admiration for China's achievements in innovation and technology. He conveyed Pakistan's desire to expand comprehensive cooperation with China and called for continued Chinese support to help Pakistan address economic and security challenges.
He also assured his counterpart that Pakistan remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions operating within its borders.
Earlier, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan agreed to extend the CPEC into Afghan territory, marking a significant step in trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The agreement came during an informal trilateral meeting held in Beijing between Deputy PM Dar, Chinese FM, and Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The three sides termed their cooperation vital for regional stability and agreed that economic integration was key to shared progress. They also stressed the importance of combating terrorism and working collectively toward peace and sustainable development.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
SAPM Fatemi delivers PM's letter to President Putin in meeting with Russian FM Lavrov
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs and Minister of State, Syed Tariq Fatemi, met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday as he began his official visit to the Russian Federation, the Foreign Office said. During the meeting, the SAPM conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's warm greetings and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation with Russia in key areas, including energy, trade, and regional connectivity. Fatemi also briefed the Russian foreign minister on recent developments in South Asia, expressing Pakistan's concerns over regional instability. High-level delegations to visit world capitals from Jun 2 to project Pakistan's stance on Indian aggression He specifically highlighted India's threat to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a move with serious implications for regional peace and water security. Foreign Minister Lavrov expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in Pakistan-Russia ties and welcomed ongoing joint initiatives, including the development of new steel mills and connectivity infrastructure. He reaffirmed Russia's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Pakistan under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), especially in counter-terrorism efforts. Commenting on Pakistan-India relations, Lavrov underscored Russia's consistent support for the normalisation of ties between the two South Asian neighbours, noting that improved relations would contribute to regional stability. The meeting concluded with SAPM Fatemi delivering a letter from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
UN sees ‘alarming' surge in Afghan families deported from Iran
KABUL: The UN on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families deported from Iran, recording a more than two-fold increase in May from the previous month, as the rise in returnees squeeze's Afghanistan's resources. Afghanistan's border points with Iran regularly see a steady stream of Afghans returning forcibly or voluntarily after crossing into the neighbouring country, often seeking work. But in May, there was 'sharp rise in the forced return of Afghan nationals' from Iran, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement. 'Particularly alarming is a significant surge in the number of families being deported – a new and concerning trend, as returnees deported in previous months were predominantly single young men,' it added. The IOM said 15,675 Afghan families had crossed the border from Iran in May compared to 6,879 in April. Islamabad says more than 100,000 Afghans left Pakistan in April The number of Afghan families without legal documentation in Iran returning to Afghanistan last month was three times higher than in May last year, it added. According to the IOM, Iranian officials issued a public statement in late May ordering Afghans without documentation to remain in Iran to leave by July 6, 'potentially affecting up to 4 million people'. Already since January this year, more than 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran, the IOM said. Iran, which shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, including millions of Afghans who arrived over the past 40 years after fleeing conflict. The spike in returns comes as Afghans have also been pressured to leave Pakistan in droves, with a campaign by Islamabad expelling more than 180,000 Afghans since April. The influx across both borders threatens to strain Afghanistan's already 'fragile reception and reintegration systems', according to the IOM, in a country still recovering from decades of conflict. More than one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan since late 2023, when Islamabad launched the first phase of a plan to remove Afghans amid tensions with the Taliban authorities who swept to power in 2021, particularly over security concerns. Many Afghans had lived in Pakistan for decades after fleeing successive wars and crises. The Taliban authorities – still unrecognised by any other country – have consistently called for Afghans to be allowed a 'dignified' return to Afghanistan. The IOM on Tuesday again called for 'all countries to immediately suspend the forced return of Afghans, regardless of their immigration status, until safe, voluntary, and dignified return conditions are in place'.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
KSE-100 hits all-time high as investors cheer IMF breakthrough
A day after shedding over 800 points, bullish momentum returned to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index settled at a new all-time high of 120,450. A buying spree was observed throughout the trading session, pushing the KSE-100 Index to an intra-day high of 120,693.83. At close, the benchmark index closed on 120,450.87, an increase of 1,573.07 points or 1.32%. 'Market participants showed positive sentiments today, following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's statement that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the upcoming federal budget had been successful,' Waqas Ghani, Head of Research at JS Global, told Business Recorder. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the forthcoming federal budget had been successful, paving the way for a new phase of economic growth. The premier, while talking to a select group of journalists, said the government had stabilised the economy and would now shift its focus toward sustained development. Meanwhile, Samiullah Tariq, Head of Research and Development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company (Private) Limited, said that the government's adherence to IMF-backed reforms has 'led to sustainable economic growth'. Moreover, investor confidence also comes on the back of a continued earnings momentum across key sectors and a more stable outlook, he added. On Monday, PSX witnessed a volatile session on the first trading day of the week, as early bullish momentum was wiped out by heavy late-session selling, finally, the benchmark index closed into negative territory. The benchmark KSE-100 index shed 813.29 points or 0.68% to close at 118,878 points. Internationally, Asian shares edged cautiously higher on Tuesday while the dollar fell to a six-week low as erratic US trade policies clouded markets and investors turned defensive ahead of key developments later in the week. US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely speak this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, days after Trump accused China of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions. The call between the two leaders will be closely watched by markets to see if the tariff-induced blow to global stocks and the dollar this year could get some reprieve or ratchet up, as trade tensions between the world's two largest economies simmer. Data on Monday showed US manufacturing contracted for a third straight month in May, and suppliers took the longest time in nearly three years to deliver inputs amid tariffs. The gloomy global trade situation left US futures falling early in the Asian session, failing to sustain the slight gains made during the cash session on Wall Street overnight. Nasdaq futures and S&P 500 futures were both down 0.2% each. In Europe, EUROSTOXX 50 futures advanced 0.28% and FTSE futures added 0.15%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan reversed early losses to last trade 0.6% higher, while Japan's Nikkei rose 0.66%.
