Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday and reaffirmed China’s commitment to continued investment in and strategic cooperation with Pakistan.

A joint statement released following a meeting between Premier Li and President Zardari highlighted the “deep and enduring friendship” between the two nations.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang arrived in Pakistan on Monday for a bilateral visit and a heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this week amid a strict security lockdown in Islamabad.

Li’s visit is the first by a Chinese premier to Pakistan in 11 years, the PM’s Office said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Li at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

According to the official handout, Premier Li emphasised the “strong brotherly, neighbourly, and partner-like” relationship between China and Pakistan.

Under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, he said that the strategic cooperation between the two countries “will continue to deepen.”

The Chinese PM acknowledged President Zardari’s contributions to fostering bilateral ties, noting the “consistent mutual support provided despite global challenges.” He reiterated China’s commitment to elevating the Pakistan-China partnership to new heights.

Premier Li stressed the need for accelerating the progress of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) development projects and assured that “China will continue to support Chinese companies investing in Pakistan.”

He expressed confidence in the further strengthening of Pakistan-China relations in the future. The statement highlighted China’s “unwavering support for Pakistan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and prosperity.”

President Zardari noted the potential for further expansion of bilateral relations. He underscored the need for enhancing trade and people-to-people exchanges.

He urged Chinese companies to take advantage of investment opportunities in Pakistan and highlighted the opportune moment to leverage CPEC and Gwadar Port to benefit from China’s economic growth. He also announced plans to visit China in November.

He expressed his anticipation for further dialogue to strengthen existing ties and reiterated Pakistan’s gratitude for China’s support on issues of mutual importance, particularly Kashmir.

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President Zardari expressed deep condolences on the recent terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two Chinese citizens. He described the incident as a “tragedy for the entire nation” and stressed that enemies of the Pakistan-China friendship are “attempting to sabotage” bilateral relations by targeting Chinese citizens.

He added that “those seeking to undermine CPEC projects are also enemies of this friendship and will not succeed in their nefarious efforts.”

The president reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice and assured that all necessary measures would be taken to enhance the security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan.