China's top legislator, Pak's National Assembly Speaker hold talks

Beijing, Jan 28 (IANS) China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks with Asad Qaiser, Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, via video link.Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, on Wednesday said the two sides should take this opportunity to carry out higher-level, broader and deeper cooperation, reports Xinhua news agency.The countries should strengthen high-level exchanges, promote anti-epidemic cooperation, and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Li said.The two sides should jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and turn the corridor into a demonstration project for high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), he added.Pakistan and China should also deepen multilateral coordination, jointly maintain the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard multilateralism and the basic norms of international relations, uphold fairness and justice to promote regional peace and prosperity, he said.Li stressed that the NPC is willing to continue to strengthen friendly exchanges with Pakistan's National Assembly to promote the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state as well as bilateral cooperation agreements.Thanking the Chinese people for their selfless assistance to Pakistan in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, Qaiser said Islamabad stands firmly with Beijing on issues of core interests.The National Assembly of Pakistan is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the NPC to provide a sound legal environment for the joint construction of the BRI and the CPEC to actively contribute to the development of bilateral relations and enhance the friendship between the two peoples, Qaiser added.
--IANS ksk/