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China says it is willing to improve economic corridor with Pakistan and deepen ties with Brazil
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing is willing to work with Islamabad to build an improved version of an economic corridor linking the two countries, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said during a visit to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday. fair.
Sharif promised to guarantee the safety of Chinese workers in Pakistan, according to a report on the meeting published online by state broadcaster CCTV. The report states that Sharif offered his government’s condolences for the deaths in March of five Chinese engineers in a suicide bombing in Pakistan. They were working on a dam project in the South Asian country.
The Pakistani leader, nearing the end of a five-day visit, is making his first trip to China since his election in March. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor includes the construction and improvement of roads and rail systems to connect China’s western Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. It is part of Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative to increase trade by building infrastructure around the world.
Xi said he hoped Pakistan would guarantee the safety of Chinese personnel and projects, CCTV reported.
Earlier in the day, Xi met with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who expressed hope that many Chinese companies will participate in a Brazilian government infrastructure program that includes railway, energy, port and airport projects.
Xi said China-Brazil ties are a model for promoting solidarity and cooperation among emerging economies. The Chinese leader has sought to deepen ties with Brazil, Russia and several other countries to counter America’s dominance in international affairs.