China assures Pakistan of friendly ties despite political changes

• "China will maintain its policy of friendly ties with Pakistan," says foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.
• Lijian says China hopes that all factions in Pakistan will "remain unified".
• A day earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif called China-Pakistan ties "long-lasting relations".

BEIJING: Political changes in Pakistan will not affect ties between Islamabad and Beijing, assured Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, Radio Pakistan reported.

During a media briefing in Beijing, the spokesperson said that China will maintain its policy of friendly ties with Pakistan.

He said: “We hope that all factions in Pakistan will remain unified and jointly safeguard their overall national stability and development.”

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A day earlier, in his inaugural speech right after being elected as the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif had said China has been Pakistan’s partner through thick and thin. “No one can snatch Pakistan and China's friendship from us,” he had said, calling it a “long-lasting relation.”

Shehbaz had also reiterated that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will be carried forward and that CPEC projects will move forward at a faster pace during his tenure as the premier.

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