Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Pakistan’s role in Middle East mediation on Monday during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing.
Xi told Shehbaz that China prioritised ties with Pakistan in its neighbourhood diplomacy. He also called the prime minister an “old friend.”
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Pakistan had worked closely with China and played a positive role in regional peace efforts.
Shehbaz said Pakistan supported Xi’s four-point peace agenda. He added that Islamabad had helped facilitate contacts between the United States and Iran.
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Pakistan and China also signed 15 cooperation accords. The agreements covered economy, climate change, agriculture, trade, media, science and technology, counterterrorism and education.
Shehbaz also expressed condolences over the deadly coal mine explosion in China’s Shanxi province.
