ISLAMABAD: China expressed the hope on Friday that its bilateral relations would remain unaffected by political developments in Pakistan and urged Pakistan’s political parties to show maturity.

“As a friendly neighbour, China hopes that all parties and sections in Pakistan can prioritise state and national interests, properly deal with their domestic affairs, maintain unity and stability and keep focusing on the economic and social development,” a statement issued by the Chinese embassy, which was attributed to a ‘spokesman’, said.

China was one of the first countries to express its position on political changes in Pakistan set off by the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case, which disqualified Mr Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister.

China has a longstanding relationship with Pakistan, but its stakes here are particularly high because of its large scale investment in multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an infrastructure and communications project.

The statement at the same time said that Mr Nawaz Sharif’s ouster was Pakistan’s “internal affair”.

“We believe that the China-Pakistan strategic cooperative partnership will not be affected by the change of the situation inside Pakistan,” the statement said, noting that “the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan has withstood the test of times”.

Political changes in the past did not affect relations with China. There has been a national consensus on strategic relations with China.

The statement reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to continue working with Islamabad “for jointly building the Belt and Road and build a community of shared future, which serves fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples and promotes peace and development of the region and beyond”.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2017