China\u2019s Foreign Ministry issued a statement after a high-level meeting between FM Wang Yi and COAS Syed Asim Munir
\n Beijing
\nChina\u2019s Foreign Ministry has applauded the leadership of Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, describing the Pakistan Army as a stabilising force in the country and a steadfast guardian of the enduring China\u2013Pakistan friendship, PTV World reported on Sunday.
\nThis acknowledgment followed a high-level meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and COAS Munir in Islamabad on August 21.
\nIn its statement, the Foreign Ministry said Wang Yi praised the Pakistan Army as a pillar of national stability and a steadfast guardian of the China\u2013Pakistan friendship, noting the military\u2019s role in advancing consensus reached by the leadership of both countries.
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\nHighlighting the strength of bilateral ties, Wang Yi emphasised that fostering stronger China\u2013Pakistan relations contributes to regional peace and stability, while reaffirming Beijing\u2019s unwavering support for Pakistan\u2019s territorial integrity and national security.
\nField Marshal Munir responded by calling China \u201cPakistan\u2019s ironclad friend\u201d and emphasised that their strategic partnership was \u201cas solid as a rock.\u201d He expressed appreciation for Beijing\u2019s long-standing support for Pakistan\u2019s economic and social development, noting that the friendship enjoys broad consensus across Pakistani society.
\nHe further outlined Pakistan\u2019s commitment to enhancing counterterrorism cooperation and ensuring the protection of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan. Both sides agreed to consolidate their all-weather strategic partnership and continue advancing mutual cooperation.
\nThe meeting took place during Foreign Minister Wang Yi\u2019s three-day official visit to Pakistan, arranged at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. During his visit, Wang Yi also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari.
\nHis visit came against the backdrop of a host of regional and international developments marked by new realignments. On the one hand, there had been a dramatic turnaround in Pakistan\u2019s relationship with the United States, while on the other, India\u2019s ties with Washington had hit their lowest ebb. Amid all this, there had also been a reset in the relationship between China and India.
\n Some speculated that China\u2019s outreach to India could be linked to Pakistan\u2019s warming ties with Beijing\u2019s principal adversary, the United States. Similarly, Pakistan\u2019s closeness with the Trump administration was believed to possibly persuade Islamabad to maintain some distance from Beijing.
\nHowever, both Wang Yi and Dar dismissed such speculation and stated that the Pakistan-China relationship had stood the test of time and was not dependent on external factors.
\nBoth countries delivered a collective message that current geostrategic developments and realignments would not have any negative impact on their \u201ciron-clad and all-weather strategic partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
China\u2019s Foreign Ministry issued a statement after a high-level meeting between FM Wang Yi and COAS Syed Asim Munir Beijing China\u2019s Foreign Ministry has applauded the leadership of Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, describing the Pakistan Army as a stabilising force in the country and a steadfast guardian of the enduring China\u2013Pakistan friendship, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-498714","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n