URUMQI: Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday met Ma Xingrui, member of the Politburo of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCPC) and Party Secretary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and underscored Pakistan’s commitment to friendship with China.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the relationship with China was the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and an anchor for regional peace and development.

Recalling his meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, the Prime Minister appreciated the strong personal commitment of the Chinese leadership to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Reiterating the importance of Xinjiang for Pakistan, Prime Minister Kakar underscored that the region held a specific significance due to its geographical, historical and cultural affinity with Pakistan.

He stressed the importance of deepening of linkages between Xinjiang and the neighbouring areas of Pakistan in diverse fields of cooperation, ranging from trade and investment to cultural and people-to-people ties.

Thanking the Prime Minister for visiting Xinjiang, Party Secretary Ma Xingrui stated that there was immense potential to deepen Pakistan-Xinjiang ties in multiple domains. He expressed Xinjiang’s willingness to explore business and trade opportunities in Pakistan and to further facilitate commercial and people-to-people ties via Khunjerab-Sost border crossing.

The two sides agreed to work together to harness the full potential of cooperation between Xinjiang and the neighbouring areas of Pakistan.