Pakistani president lauds China as most trustworthy friend

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said China is the most trustworthy friend, and his country looks forward to further cooperation with China in various fields, during a meeting with Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), in Islamabad on April 24.

Zardari said the two countries respect each other and cooperate for mutual benefit, having yielded fruitful results in practical cooperation in various fields.

Pakistan has always regarded China as its most trustworthy friend and will continue to firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests and promoting the construction of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, he noted.

He also expressed his deep condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack that happened recently at the Dasu Hydropower Project and expressed firm resolve to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

Luo said that China and Pakistan enjoy a special "iron-clad" friendship that has grown stronger over time. China highly appreciates Pakistan's active participation in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as a major flagship project, has achieved great success. And the joint promotion of the Global Development Initiative has achieved positive results, he said, expressing readiness to further advance practical cooperation in various fields with Pakistan. 

He also raised hope that the Pakistani side would take practical and effective measures to safeguard the security of Chinese citizens and enterprises in Pakistan. 

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong also attended the meeting.

During his visit to Pakistan, Luo also visited Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and met with Pakistani Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, with whom he signed related assistance cooperation documents.