China’s Xi affirms commitment to Pakistan economic ties

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping has affirmed his country’s commitment to invest in Pakistan despite a slowdown in recent years. Xi cited the “all-weather strategic partnership” between the countries during a meeting in Beijing with newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Beijing and Islamabad have ties dating from the Cold War, in part due to their mutual tensions with India. China has committed tens of millions of dollars to build roads, railways and power plants and other infrastructure in Pakistan. Xi pointed to rail links to the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar and in the southern trade hub of Karachi as key elements in that effort to boost development.