Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday China will work with Pakistan to aim for “high-standard, sustainable and livelihood-enhancing outcomes” and further build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into an “exemplary project” of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message to the Decade of CPEC celebration event held in Islamabad, Pakistan.

He pointed out that CPEC is an “important pioneering project” of the BRI. Since its launch in 2013, China and Pakistan have been advancing CPEC under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and have achieved a number of early harvests.

“This has added new impetus to the economic and social development of Pakistan and laid a good foundation for regional connectivity and integration,” he said and added that it was a “vivid testament” to the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan, and provides an important “underpinning” for building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

He stressed that China and Pakistan will continue to improve overall planning and expand and deepen cooperation. “No matter how the international landscape may change, China will always stand firmly with Pakistan,” Xi said.

Xi added that China and Pakistan will continue to work hand in hand and forge ahead in solidarity to carry forward the “ironclad friendship, coordinate development and security, pursue cooperation of higher standards, broader scope and greater depth, and take the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to new heights, so as to make even greater contribution to peace and prosperity in the two countries and the broader region”.