ISLAMABAD    -    Minister for Planning, Devel­opment and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said that friend­ship and strategic partnership with China enjoyed broad po­litical support in Pakistan and acknowledged the Internation­al Department of Communist Party of China (IDCPC’s) role in promoting better under­standing and deepening rela­tions between the two coun­tries. In a meeting with the Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao, Ahsan Iqbal specifi­cally appreciated his personal contributions in cementing bilateral ties as a true friend of Pakistan. The minister ad­mired the role of CPEC in a peaceful rise and economic de­velopment in China. Extend­ing warm felicitations on the successful conclusion of the annual Two Sessions, the min­ister paid tribute to the vision of President Xi for launching initiatives like Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Devel­opment Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) which were contributing in creating a peaceful and har­monious world.

Hailing CPEC as the shining example of BRI cooperation, Minister IDCPC appreciated the Planning Minister’s role in nur­turing and developing CPEC in his current and earlier tenures. Both reaffirmed CPEC’s impor­tance as the flagship project of BRI and decided to add further impetus to CPEC cooperation along with marking the comple­tion of one decade as an impor­tant milestone. Recalling the successful visit of Prime Minis­ter Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing in November 2022, the two sides agreed to work out modalities of IDCPC support for capacity-building through special train­ing of Pakistani young political leaders and professionals, and experience sharing on CPC gov­ernance model for rural devel­opment, youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, economic growth, use of technology, en­hancement of exports and in­dustrialization. 

Ahsan Iqbal also extended an invitation to Minister IDCPC to visit Pakistan to continue the discussions and cooperation for deepening bilateral ties.