Ironclad, enduring friendship with Pakistan highlighted

President Xi Jinping reaffirmed on Wednesday the enduring friendship between China and Pakistan underscoring both nations' shared commitment to building a closer bilateral community with a shared future, as he hosted visiting Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Beijing.

Xi rolled out the red carpet for Zardari, who arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday for a five-day state visit, in a grand welcoming ceremony that also included a guard of honor.

The two leaders jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements covering sectors including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, trade, and science and technology.

"China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic partners," Xi said, noting that the foundation of bilateral ties was forged by earlier generations of leaders and has become a treasured asset for both nations.

Beijing has always viewed its ties with Islamabad from a strategic perspective and maintained stable, long-standing policies of friendship aimed at benefiting all Pakistani people, he stressed.

Xi pledged continuous support for Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as its fight against terrorism.

He urged the Pakistani side to bolster security measures to protect Chinese citizens, projects and institutions in the South Asian country as part of broader steps to enhance bilateral and multilateral counterterrorism cooperation.

Xi encouraged deeper alignment between the two countries' development strategies and broader exchanges on national governance, while welcoming Pakistan to benefit from China's efforts in comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up.

In building up cooperation across various fields, the president said both sides should jointly upgrade the CPEC and step up exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and the media.

He also called for shared efforts to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, resist unilateral and hegemonic actions, and collaborate more closely in multilateral arenas to safeguard the interests of developing nations.

Zardari, who began his second term as Pakistani president last year, also highlighted the all-weather friendship and partnership between the two nations.

"Pakistan and China will always be friends. No matter how many issues come up in the world, I will, and the Pakistani people will, stand with the people of China," he said during the talks.

He thanked China for its selfless assistance in Pakistan's economic and social development, while expressing the readiness to learn from China's successful experience and to advance the CPEC and cooperation in multiple fields.

Pakistan remains committed to working closely with China in supporting multilateralism, promoting free trade, and safeguarding the shared interests of both countries and other developing nations, he added.

China has been Pakistan's largest trading partner, its top source of imports, and its second-largest export destination since the 2015-16 fiscal year, according to statistics from Pakistani authorities.

Jiang Zaidong, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, wrote in a signed article before the visit that "a safe and stable environment is indispensable for China-Pakistan practical cooperation including CPEC construction".

Both sides are willing to work with the international community to strengthen multilateral anti-terrorism cooperation under the framework of the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other frameworks, he added.

Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said economic and security cooperation will top the agenda for Zardari's ongoing visit to China.

He added that the CPEC has become the cornerstone of economic cooperation between both nations and a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Thus, it is important for both sides, especially Islamabad, to come up with concrete steps to guarantee the safety of Chinese personnel and projects and ensure the smooth progress of the CPEC," he said.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, said the timing of Zardari's visit to China is important, as both sides are looking to reinforce the CPEC in its second phase.

"It is important for both nations to enhance coordination amid the changing global and regional scenarios, and to scale up the response to terrorism and extremism to guarantee the security of Chinese citizens and projects in Pakistan."