Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong discussed economic and security ties between their countries during a meeting in Islamabad on Friday, state-run Radio Pakistan reports.

Their meeting follows the occasion of the Chinese New Year, which was celebrated by millions across Asia on January 29, when PM Shehbaz and President Zardari issued special greetings.

Ambassador Zaidong called on PM Shehbaz today. “Matters related to economic and security cooperation between the two countries were also discussed during the meeting,” Radio Pakistan said.

According to the report, the premier expressed the hope that the Chinese New Year would further strengthen the bonds of friendship between Pakistan and China and bring prosperity to the people of both nations.

Greeting the ambassador on the Chinese New Year, the prime minister also conveyed his good wishes to the leadership as well as the brotherly people of China, including all Chinese nationals residing in Pakistan.

Ambassador Zaidong thanked PM Shehbaz and the people of Pakistan for extending their warm wishes to the Chinese government and its people on the occasion.

The Chinese envoy had also met with Deputy PM Ishaq Dar on Tuesday where the two reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between their countries.

The meeting also comes days after the Foreign Office rejected “baseless and unfounded” allegations targeting Pakistan’s commitment to China’s policies following the interior minister’s attendance at an event in the United States.

The FO statement had come on Monday amid growing criticism of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s participation in an event sponsored by the New Federal State of China (NFSC), an anti-China group.

The FO had described the One-China Policy as a “consistent cornerstone” of Pakistan’s foreign policy, emphasising that the country’s stance remained unchanged.

Naqvi, who faced backlash over his participation in the event, had earlier issued his own clarification, denying that the event was anti-China but stopping short of addressing claims that it was hosted by NFSC. In contrast, the FO had avoided direct comment on the controversy surrounding NFSC’s sponsorship of the event.

Pakistan has held strong bilateral relations with China which has supported it through many investments and development projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which was termed as a “lifeline” for the country’s economy.