Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while describing Pakistan and China as “iron brothers” and enjoying “unbreachable” friendship has said that his meetings with Chinese leadership during his recent visit to Beijing remained most productive and useful.

“We are iron brothers, because this friendship is unbreachable. Nobody can damage this friendship. Nobody can find any space in this friendship no matter what. We will remain friends. We have been friends and we are there forever,” Shehbaz Sharif told China Global Television (CGTN) during his recent two-day official visit to China.

Besides China-Pakistan relations, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), regional and global issues were also discussed with the Chinese leadership, the Prime Minister said.

To a question, Shehbaz Sharif said he was returning back to Pakistan “hugely strengthened and encouraged” by massive support from the Chinese leadership to work jointly for the good of two peoples, promote CPEC and B2B (Business to Business) investment in Pakistan and also jointly deal with the issues which relate to international considerations.

The Prime Minister said it was a matter of great privilege and honor for him to visit China on the invitation of Chinese leadership and being the first foreign leader after the 20
th National Congress of Chinese Communist Party (CPC).

“It is a great manifestation of our iron brotherhood. It speaks volume of our friendship, mutual trust and mutual understanding. We deeply appreciate this gesture of the Chinese leadership,” he added.

The Prime Minister said during his visit he had back to back meetings most importantly the meetings with President Xi and Premier Li, which were “most friendly, productive, frank and useful”.

He said that China and Pakistan agreed to enhance their consultative process to discuss geopolitical situation, and to discuss how to bring progress and prosperity not only in Pakistan but in the region.

To another question, the Prime Minister said that China has always been a very prosperous and rich country, adding, “but the foreign entities who came here, made it a colony and looted and plundered its resources.”

He added that China, who had been bestowed upon by God Almighty with ample resources and energy, had not shown, in anybody’s remotest imagination, any germs of expansionism.

“To the contrary, China’s philosophy or President Xi’s philosophy is about globalization, is about interaction, is about prosperity and progress,” the Prime Minister maintained.

He said that the policy of those who believed in containment [of China] were sadly mistaken, adding, however, “they will never be able to contain China.”

The Prime Minister said that China is a power and the world cannot operate without China and vice-versa. “China believes in peaceful means. So Chinese military’s progress is not for aggression, it is for its defence and rightly so”, he added.

“Keeping in view the past history, China cannot afford to remain weak in this area, therefore China is within its right to be militarily strong. Yet be very cautious and careful as not to give even a slightest of impression that this power is for aggression,” he remarked.