Pakistan Pledges to Make All-out Efforts to Protect Chinese Citizens in the Country

On September 17, 2021 local time, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan held friendly talks with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Dushanbe, where Wang Yi was also attending the summit as a special representative of President Xi Jinping.

Imran Khan asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese leaders and spoke highly of the important progress made in the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. He thanked China for providing Pakistan with timely and effective assistance to defeat the pandemic and recover the economy, and emphasized that the Pakistan-China friendship has been tested by the changing international landscape and cannot be disrupted by any force and that Pakistan is unwavering in its will to deepen all-around cooperation between the two countries and is not afraid of any external pressure. Pakistan will severely punish the perpetrators of the Dasu terrorist attack, make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in the country, and firmly push ahead with the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which brings benefits to the Pakistani people.

Wang Yi conveyed the greetings from Chinese leaders to Imran Khan, saying that China and Pakistan always understand, trust and support each other and that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries remains rock solid and is rooted in the hearts of both peoples. China will firmly support Pakistan's domestic and foreign policies, support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, and support Pakistan in playing a more important role in international and regional affairs.

The two sides confirmed that the 10th CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee meeting will be held in late September, and the 15th meeting of the China-Pakistan Joint Economic and Trade Commission will be held in October.

Imran Khan also briefed Wang Yi on Pakistan's position on the Afghan issue. The two sides agreed to further strengthen strategic coordination as the Afghan situation has undergone major changes and now stands at a historic juncture, so as to jointly play an active role in stabilizing the Afghan situation, combating terrorism, and maintaining regional peace.