President Xi's visit to give 'impetus' to China-Pakistan ties

College students sit on grass at a campus in Islamabad, May 13, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Islamabad rendered tremendous support to Beijing at critical moments in the last century when China sought to break the external blockade, restore its lawful seat at the United Nations and realize the normalization of ties with the United States.

Furthermore, Pakistan also extended a helping hand to China by providing over 22,000 tents, the entire strategic reserve of Pakistan, after a devastating earthquake jolted Wenchuan, China's southwestern Sichuan province, in May 2008, he said.

China, for its part, was the first country to offer assistance for its affected people when Pakistan was hit by a catastrophic flood in 2010, and most recently, a Chinese naval vessel helped Pakistan evacuate 176 nationals from war-torn Yemen, said the Chinese ambassador.

The two countries have maintained good momentum in developing bilateral ties and their cooperation featured by the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project aimed at boosting connectivity between the two neighbors, has been pragmatic and fruitful, Sun said.

The CPEC, also an important part of the China-proposed "One Belt and One Road" initiative, has set up the strategic framework for the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

The Chinese ambassador said the CPEC will not only benefit the Pakistani people but also contribute to development and prosperity of the whole region as all the projects have been pressed forward smoothly.

Both sides will explore and deepen cooperation in the fields of governance, people-to-people exchanges and better coordination in combating terrorism, cooperation in defense and international and regional affairs, so as to safeguard the common interests of the two countries, he said.

This year is designated as the China-Pakistan Year of Friendly Exchange. China is willing to work together with Pakistan to inherit and promote the traditional friendship forged in the past decades to build the China-Pakistan community of common destiny, the ambassador added.

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