SHANGHAI: Pakistan and China on Thursday signed the framework agreement on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif signed the agreement from Pakistan side at a ceremony which was also witnessed by President Mamnoon Hussain and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The 27 kilometre long elevated mass transit project in Lahore is aimed to facilitate commuters' movement in the city.

Mamnoon, Jinping discuss bilateral ties

During his meeting with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), President Mamnoon said Pakistan highly values its relations with China which are unparalleled in the contemporary era of inter-state relations.

He said that the multifaceted strategic partnership between Pakistan and China with increased focus on economic and trade ties would usher in a new era of socio-economic progress and prosperity for the people of both countries and the region.

Mamnoon reiterated that strengthening and deepening friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy, and added that there exists across-the-board political and public agreement on maintaining strong equation with China.

Giving details of the meeting, Press Secretary to the President Saba Mohsin Raza said the two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The spokesperson said the two leaders agreed on further cementing bilateral cooperation encompassing all areas including energy, trade and investment, infrastructure development and people-to-people contacts.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the current state of China Pakistan Economic corridor project and urged for expeditious completion of the already identified and mutually agreed projects of the Economic corridor on fast track basis.

President Mamnoon invited President Xi Jinping to visit Pakistan and said that the people of his country were anxiously looking forward to his first state visit this year.

Those present during the meeting included Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Special Assistant to PM Syed Tariq Fatemi, Secretary Foreign affairs Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Pakistan's Ambassador to China Masood Khalid.

Pakistan, China vow to strengthen anti-terrorism cooperation

Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping also agreed to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, reports Xinhua news agency.

At the bilateral meeting, President Jinping said that China backs Pakistan in practicing a counter-terrorism strategy based on its national conditions and was willing to enhance bilateral security cooperation to safeguard peace and stability of the two countries and the region.

President Hussain said that terrorism forces are a common enemy of Pakistan and China and vowed to combat this menace. Pakistan will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and projects in the country, he added.

Jinping hailed the recent development of China-Pakistan relations and said he was willing to pay a state visit to Pakistan at a proper time to push bilateral strategic coordination and pragmatic cooperation to a new level.

On economic cooperation, Xi called on the two countries to jointly promote construction of the China-Pakistan economic corridor, an important part of the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st century maritime Silk Road.

He urged the two sides to ensure the operation of joint projects in Pakistan's Gwadar and Lahore.

Hailing the Pakistan-China economic corridor, Hussain said Pakistan was willing to create conducive conditions for projects and hoped that the two sides will enhance cooperation in power generation also.