Roundup: Xi's trip to Pakistan, Indonesia embodies concepts of community of common destiny, new type int'l ties: FM (1)

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Friday after his state visit to Pakistan and attendance at the Asian-African Summit and activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia.

The April 20-24 tour is a successful practice of the concepts of the community of common destiny in China's neighborhood and the new-type international relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters upon the conclusion of Xi's first overseas trip this year.

The president's travel to Pakistan and Indonesia featured both bilateral and multilateral relations, encompassing politics and economics, and involving both neighborhood and global diplomacy, Wang added.

The Pakistan visit was aimed at consolidating the China-Pakistan traditional friendship and deepening pragmatic cooperation, so as to lift the bilateral ties to a new level and enrich the connotation of the community of common destiny between the two nations, according to him.

The trip to Indonesia is meant to revitalize the Bandung Spirit, enhance solidarity and collaboration between China and other developing countries and promote the construction of the new-type international relations of win-win cooperation, he said.

During the two-nation tour packed with various bilateral and multilateral activities, Xi reached out to all social circles of the places he visited, delivered a series of important policy speeches, and presented a slew of new initiatives and measures, Wang said.

The president's open, inclusive, humble and generous diplomatic style, as well as the multi-facet success achieved during the trip, won praises both at home and abroad, he added.

ELEVATING CHINA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS

The two-day state visit to Pakistan, the first leg of Xi's first overseas tour this year, testifies to the importance of the China-Pakistan relationship, Wang said.

The Chinese side highly values its relationship with Pakistan, and has always placed the relationship on a priority position in its foreign policy agenda and viewed the South Asian country as an "iron friend," he said. [ During the trip, Xi held in-depth exchange of views with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and leaders from the parliament, military force and major parties, which played a leading role in developing bilateral relations.

First, the will to develop bilateral relations has become more firm. According to the minister, leaders of the two countries agreed to lift China-Pakistan relations to an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, highlighting the all-weather friendship and all-dimensional cooperation between the two countries.

The elevation, he said, also showed the unique relations between China and Pakistan featured by particularity, persistence and stability.

Secondly, the foundation of China-Pakistan strategic mutual trust has become more solid. The two countries have further enhanced strategic communication and coordination, Wang said.

China supports Pakistan in joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full member and both sides are willing to beef up cooperation on Afghanistan issue to push the peace and reconciliation process in the country.

Thirdly, the China-Pakistan practical cooperation has become more comprehensive. Wang said that Xi's fruitful visit has pushed forward economic and security cooperation between China and Pakistan.

Both sides agreed to form a '1+4' cooperation structure with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at the center and the Gwadar Port, transport infrastructure, energy and industrial cooperation being the four key areas.

Two countries signed over 50 cooperation deals and set the target of lifting bilateral trade to 20 billion U.S. dollars in three years, up from the current 16 billion dollars.

On security cooperation, Wang said that the two countries agreed to continue strengthening anti-terror and defense cooperation to join hands to fight terrorism and safeguard security interests of the two nations.

According to Pakistani media, Xi's visit is conducive to bilateral ties and is a crucial one for the country, the minister said.

Fourthly, the belt connecting the Chinese and Pakistani people has become stronger. Wang said that during the visit, Xi stressed both countries have the responsibility to maintain, consolidate, and develop China-Pakistan traditional friendship so as to carry it on from generation to generation.

This year marks the China-Pakistan Year of Friendly Exchanges, the minister said, adding that China announced to provide 2,000 training opportunities to the neighboring country in a bid to set a good example for exchanges and cooperation between countries of different civilizations.

Wang said that Xi's trip to Pakistan is like a visit to the home of own brother and became a great event of the whole country.

The Chinese delegation received warm welcome in Pakistan, which fully showed the China-Pakistan friendship is "higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey."

Wang said that Xi's visit to Pakistan has set up many records in China-Pakistan ties, marking a milestone in the history of developing relations between the two countries.

EXPANDING ASIA-AFRICA COOPERATION

China made indispensable and important contributions to the 1955 Bandung Conference which heralded an era of unity and cooperation between Asia and Africa, and among developing countries, said the Chinese foreign minister.

It is of great practical significance that six decades later, Asian and African leaders gathered in Indonesia for a summit, under the theme "Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity," to hammer out ways to carry forward the Bandung Spirit of unity, friendship and cooperation, he said.

The Chinese president made a keynote speech at the summit and expounded China's ideas, thoughts and ways to carry forward the Bandung Spirit and promote cooperation between Asia and Africa.

Xi called for carrying forward the Bandung Spirit, building the new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core, promoting the construction of a community of common destiny for all mankind, and bringing more benefits to the Asian and African people, as well as people from other countries and regions.

Xi's speech has injected fresh vigor to the Bandung Spirit, Wang said.

Six decades after the landmark conference, the two continents face new opportunities, as well as challenges. It is the common aspiration of all Asian and African countries to cooperate and seek common development, Wang said.

Xi stressed China's staunch will to boost Asia-Africa cooperation, pledging zero tariffs for 97 percent of goods exported to China from the least developed nations with diplomatic ties to China, assistance for developing countries without any political string attached, and free training for 100,000 people from developing countries, among others.

Participants at the summit said that the down-to-earth proposals by the Chinese side will boost win-win cooperation between China and other Asian as well as African countries, and further the development of the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.

Six decades after the Bandung Conference, peace, development, cooperation and win-win results have become an ever stronger trend of the international order and structure. MO