In this photo released by the Press Information Department, newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif addresses during the National Assembly session, in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 11, 2022. (PRESS INFORMATION DEPARTMENT VIA AP)

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's new government attaches great importance to strengthening relations between Pakistan and China, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said here Tuesday.

Shahbaz, who was elected as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday and took the oath on the same day, made the remarks during a meeting with Pang Chunxue, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

The Pakistani prime minister noted that the unshakable Pak-China friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the two countries, adding that Pakistan regards China as its best friend and cherishes its deep friendship with the Chinese people.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif appreciated the continued progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative

Pakistan and China have always supported each other and conducted mutually beneficial cooperation, setting a good example for state-to-state relations, Shahbaz said.

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Shahbaz appreciated the continued progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and its importance for the economic development and prosperity of Pakistan.

He said that the new Pakistani government is ready to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, science and technology, education and poverty alleviation, and to push forward the construction of CPEC with greater vigor and efficiency to better benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

On the occasion, Pang said that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners that enjoy rock-solid relations.

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China looks forward to working closely with the new Pakistani government to continue the traditional friendship, strengthen strategic communication, advance the construction of CPEC, and forge a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, she added.