URUMQI, CHINA   -  Caretaker Prime Minis­ter Anwaarul Haq Ka­kar said on Friday that time was ripe to bolster the friendship between Pakistan and China.

“In Pakistan, we say a good neighbour is a treasure. In this regard, we are very fortunate to have China as a good brother, good neigh­bour, good partner and a good friend.

“Now is the time to further strengthen this friendship. Together, let us chart a new course of peace, prosperity and win-win development,” Kakar said. He made the remarks while address­ing students and faculty at Xinjiang University in China’s Urumqi.

A day earlier, the two countries had reiter­ated their resolve to further cement their partnership, with Ka­kar saying Islamabad would not allow any­thing to undermine the strategic partnership with Beijing.

Both sides renewed this pledge during a del­egation-level meeting between the caretak­er premier and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of People on the sidelines of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum. “Our time tested ties have remained unaffected by vicissitudes of time. In Pakistan, we have a complete consensus across the political spectrum about the […] of Pak-China friendship for the progress and prosperity of our two countries, and regional peace and develop­ment,” he said.

“We view our ties with China from a strategic long-term perspective. In the ever-changing glob­al landscape, China-Pakistan friendship is a con­stant and would always remain so,” he said.

“Building upon the success of our political ties, the two countries have placed special focus on our economic partnership manifested in the China-Pa­kistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said.

Kakar said that CPEC was a “true example” of the Belt and Road Initiative’s (BRI) stated objec­tives. “It has helped us upgrade our transport and communication network, address energy short­ages and develop Gwadar port in the province of Balochistan,” he said. The premier said that CPEC projects had not only stimulated economic growth but had also improved the lives and the livelihood of Pakistani citizens while also enhancing region­al connectivity.

Kakar then referred to a speech given by Xi last year about making Xinjiang the frontier of Belt and Road connectivity. “This announcement by Presi­dent Xi was a recognition of Xinjiang’s historical role as a hub of connectivity as part of the ancient Silk Road,” he said. He said that his visit to Xinji­ang on the tenth anniversary of the BRI was hap­pening at “an important juncture”. “It represents a profound milestone in the enduring friendship be­tween Pakistan and China and the people of our two great nations,” the prime minister said.

“My visit signifies our commitment to promoting connectivity, not just in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of human connections. My visit is es­sentially about charting a new roadmap and envi­sioning a new future based on economic synergy and greater connectivity.

“The key element of Pakistan’s vision for cooper­ation with Xinjiang include reaffirmation of Paki­stan’s principled position on Xinjiang and our un­equivocal support to China on matters related to its core interest.” He said that Pakistan aimed to utilise Xinjiang’s position as an important part of CPEC and its linkages with Pakistan. “We would jointly work to identify the respective strengths of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Xinjiang […] and building on our synergies for improving the livelihoods of the people of our region.” He went on to say that as per the consensus reached during his visit to Bei­jing, the land border at Khunjerab would be con­verted into an all-weather border.

“We would like to upgrade customs and other lo­gistic services to facilitate trade and movement of people. Gwadar is a key component of our CPEC partnership. I would propose that we deepen eco­nomic cooperation by affectively using the sis­ter-city relationship between Karamay and Gwa­dar, and Kashgar and Gwadar. “We seek to learn from Xinjiang’s success in agricultural modernisa­tion. We would also aim to set up a joint agricul­tural demonstration zone in Pakistan to introduce modern farming techniques and practices. We also aim to develop linkages between industries of Xin­jiang and Pakistan, especially GB region.”