China, Pakistan push on with corridor

The top leaders of China and Pakistan vowed on Thursday to press ahead with the construction of a cross-border trade corridor.

Premier Li Keqiang hailed the trade corridor as an important strategic decision for the two nations as he met visiting Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain in Beijing.

Li said the corridor has set up a new framework for pragmatic bilateral cooperation and increases the possibility of more such cooperation in the future.

The corridor, which Li proposed during his visit to Islamabad in May, is a multibillion-dollar project connecting Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the port of Gwadar in southwestern Pakistan.

Because China shares a 600-km border with Pakistan, the two nations should also promote interconnection through better highway and railway infrastructure, Li said.

Li singled out energy, transportation infrastructure and industrial parks as projects for the two governments to push forward, adding that such projects "promote work in all areas by setting good examples".

"China is willing to strengthen the cooperation with Pakistan on international and regional affairs and bring about mutual support on the peace, stability and prosperity of the world," he said.

Hussain said Pakistan sees its friendship with China as the "pillar" of its diplomatic policy and security policy.

"The friendship with China is also the wish of the entire Pakistani society," he added.

Li also promoted China's heavy equipment during his meeting with Hussain.

The premier said the quality of China's heavy equipment is "guaranteed".

Hussain had met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. The two sides agreed on the construction of the new Gwadar international airport, a highway upgrade project linking the nations and a joint research center for hydropower technology.

It is Hussain's first official foreign trip since he took office in September.