President Asif Ali Zardari has stated that Pakistan stands with China during good times and bad.

He made the remarks during an interview with Chinese state-owned broadcaster CGTN that was aired on Thursday. During the interview, the president, who visited China earlier this month, said that all his visits to the neighbouring country were “goodwill visits”.

“My visits are always goodwill visits because China is the future and all of the East will work with China,” he said. Talking about China’s Global Governance Initiative, he said: “Global governance means that I cannot walk into any other country nor any other country [can] walk into me. They have to be respectful about my territory, I shall be respectful of their territory.”

He said that he was bringing international goodwill and the Pakistani people’s goodwill, as well as the assurance that “we stand with China in good times and bad times”.

“Not that I see China going through a bad time, but even then, we are there, in case [we are] needed,” he asserted.

Asked whether China and Pakistan could work together to promote the Global Governance Initiative, the president said: “We don’t need a marshal mindset, we need an economical mindset. We need to let the people live and let live.”

Talking about the relationship between the two countries, the president termed Pakistan and China: “All-weather, iron-clad brothers, but […] that we are joined on the hip also.

“That’s how close we are. And that is an opportunity,” he said.

President Zardari further stated that Pakistan has always tried to “help Chinese positions”.

“Wherever I go in the world, my first position is respect China […] for its people, for its technology, for everything,” he said.

Commenting on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0, President Zardari said: “We are the closest port to China […]. One day, the generations to come will thank Chinese people and Pakistani people [for thinking] about that port.

“That port will be the closest link you have to China,” he said, calling it a “great futuristic project”. He said that once the port would become operational, it would enhance employment opportunities and trade in the area.

“So there is great importance for me to make sure Balochistan is safer,” he said, adding that “economic growth kept nations together”.