Xi, Pakistani president exchange congratulations on 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Xi said that China and Pakistan are good friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners linked by mountains and rivers and sharing weal and woe. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 75 years ago, no matter how the international situation has changed, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always remained rock-solid and unbreakable, he said. The two countries have maintained high-level mutual political trust, practical cooperation, security cooperation and international collaboration for a long time, setting a model for state-to-state relations, Xi added. Xi said he attaches great importance to developing China-Pakistan relations and is willing to work with Zardari to take the anniversary as an opportunity to enhance strategic communication, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen all-round cooperation, and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, so that China-Pakistan relations can better benefit the two peoples and contribute to regional peace and development. For his part, Zardari said the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has stood the test of time and become a steadfast pillar for regional peace, stability and development. The Pakistani side highly commends the global initiatives proposed by Xi, which carry far-reaching significance, and values Xi's firm commitment to deepening Pakistan-China relations and promoting the building of an even closer Pakistan-China community with a shared future in the new era, he said. Pakistan sincerely appreciates China's steadfast support for Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity and promoting its economic and social development, said Zardari, adding that his country will continue to support China on issues concerning its core interests and further elevate the Pakistan-China friendship to new levels. On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also exchanged congratulatory messages. China stands ready to work with Pakistan to strengthen solidarity and coordination, actively build the upgraded Version 2.0 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and continuously advance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, said Li. For his part, Sharif noted that Pakistan-China relations are grounded on mutual trust, sovereign equality and the joint pursuit of peace and development. He said the Pakistani side remains firmly committed to promoting the high-quality development of the CPEC and exploring more areas of Pakistan-China cooperation.