China firmly supports Pakistan in achieving unity, stability: Chinese FM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) meets with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Islamabad, Pakistan on May 6, 2023. (ISPR/Handout via Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said China firmly supports Pakistan in achieving unity, stability, and economic self-reliance.

While meeting with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir here on Saturday, Qin said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and their time-tested and rock-solid friendship has always maintained strong vitality.

China looks forward to higher-level cooperation and joint efforts with Pakistan to meet challenges and pursue common development and prosperity, the Chinese foreign minister said.

China firmly supports Pakistan in fighting terrorism and is ready to work with Pakistan to promote high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and strengthen military exchanges and defense cooperation, Qin said.

For his part, Munir said Pakistan and China are all-weather friends and brothers, and the Pakistani people often say that the friendship between the two neighbors is higher than mountains, deeper than the ocean and sweeter than honey.

The Pakistani military is firmly committed to carrying forward the Pakistan-China friendship and building an unbreakable Pakistan-China community with a shared future, Munir said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Afghan issue and other international and regional issues of common concern.