China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir in Islamabad during his official visit to Pakistan, discussing regional security and counter-terrorism, the military's media wing said on Friday, reports Dawn.
The Chinese top diplomat arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday night to attend the sixth Pakistan-China Strategic Dialogue on Thursday morning.
He also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirming China's commitment to working with Pakistan to promote regional peace, development, and stability.
Wang, who had earlier met his Afghan counterpart in Kabul on Wednesday, said China was prepared to support its neighbours on issues concerning their core interests and to firmly oppose external interference in the region, according to a Chinese foreign ministry handout.
He emphasised the need to enhance the security dialogue mechanism, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, strengthen the fight against transnational terrorism, and eliminate conditions that promote extremism.
Wang reiterated China's steadfast support for Pakistan's sovereignty and development, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), adding that COAS Munir expressed gratitude for China's consistent support for Pakistan.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, it said.
Pakistan and China share a strategic partnership that covers trade, energy, defence and infrastructure.
Last month, during COAS Munir's visit to Beijing, the Chinese leadership had lauded the role of the Pakistan Army and hailed it as a "cornerstone of resilience and a vital contributor" for peace in the region.
Meanwhile, on 19 August, Indian PM Narendra Modi met with Wang Yi and hailed "steady progress" made in improving bilateral relations with China.
On his visit, Wang has also met with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security adviser Ajit Doval about the countries' disputed border in the Himalayan mountains, reported AP news.
India's Foreign Ministry said Wang and Doval discussed "de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs".
The two sides agreed to resume direct flights and issuance of journalist visas and to facilitate business and cultural exchanges, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.
Indo-China relations took a severe hit in 2020 after security forces clashed along the border. Four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the worst violence in decades, freezing high-level political engagements.
This new development to mend India-China ties comes when the Trump-led US government imposed a staggering 50% tariff on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia.
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