Pakistan and China on Thursday reiterated their resolve to push forward the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0), which envisions five new corridors to boost economic, industrial, and connectivity cooperation. The commitment came during a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Tianjin, held in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum in bilateral relations and agreed to work closely to strengthen their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. Building on the consensus earlier reached between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz, the leaders hailed the signing of the Joint Action Plan 2024–2029 as a vital step toward deepening cooperation. The prime minister also conveyed gratitude for China’s unwavering support to Pakistan’s sovereignty and socio-economic development, while congratulating Beijing on the successful hosting of the SCO Summit and the 80th anniversary of its historic victory in the War of ResistancePrime Minister Shehbaz praised China’s transformation under President Xi Jinping’s visionary leadership, calling it a model for Pakistan’s own reform and growth agenda. He stressed Islamabad’s determination to build a stronger Pakistan-China community with a shared future, while noting that his government’s ongoing reforms were showing early promise with Beijing’s strong backing. The premier also announced Pakistan’s plan to float Panda Bonds in Chinese capital markets, further cementing financial cooperation. On the development front, he underscored CPEC’s role as a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), highlighting its contribution to Pakistan’s progress over the past
decade He speedy implementation of key projects,including the ML-I railway upgrade, Karakoram Highway
