Prime Minister Imran Khan meets President Xi Jinping at Great Hall of the People.
China President Xi Jinping has called for de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India, saying it was hoping the two nations would meet halfway.
Tension between India and Pakistan escalated following the Pulwama terror attack by a JeM suicide bomber on February 14. Over 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the terror attack. India, consequently, launched an airstrike on Pakistan's Balakot -- with Pakistan maintaining no terror hideout was destroyed in the aftermath.
President Xi met visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Pakistan and China Investment Forum in Beijing on April 28, and said that both nations could meet each other halfway and promote stabilisation and improvement in their relations.
Xi also confirmed China's firm support to Pakistan to further the bilateral ties between the all-weather allies.
"Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner. China and Pakistan are 'iron friends' and have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests," Xi said.
China takes Pakistan as a priority in its diplomacy, he said.
"No matter how international and regional situations change, China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and national dignity, choosing its own development path suited to its national conditions, combating terrorist and extremist forces, striving for a sound external security environment, and playing a constructive role in international and regional affairs," Xi said.
He said major progress had been made in bilateral cooperation in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially in areas of finance, trade and other aspects.
"In the next stage, China and Pakistan should make more efforts to advance the all-weather strategic cooperation," Xi said.
He called on both sides to deepen high-level contacts and mutual support, strengthen strategic communication and promote high-quality cooperation in production capacity, infrastructure construction, people's livelihood and trade within the framework of the BRI.
Pakistan Prime Minister Khan expressed hope that the relations between the two neighbours would improve after the Lok Sabha election.
"We want to build a civilized relationship with our Eastern neighbour and there is a possibility that if we can resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue, things can improve," he was quoted by state-run Radio Pakistan as saying.
He further said the CPEC had played an important role in Pakistan's economic development and the improvement of people's lives.
“Pakistan is willing to consolidate its traditional friendship with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation and enhance communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs,” Khan was quoted as saying in the statement.
Imran Khan arrived in China on April 25 and attended China's 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held on April 26-27.
India skipped the meeting for the second time, protesting over the CPEC which is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Imran Khan's meeting with Xi took place when China is under pressure at the United Nations over its repeated attempts to block efforts to declare Pakistan-based JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
Last month, China put a technical hold on a resolution put forth by the US, the UK and France at the UN's 1267 counter terrorism committee to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.
The US later took the issue to the UN Security Council (UNSC) in a bid to pressure China to take a public stance on Azhar's issue instead of just putting up blocks at the 1267 committee.
China had expressed its firm opposition to the issue being taken to the UNSC, saying that the matter headed for settlement and blamed the US for scuttling it.
