China says change in Pakistan’s leadership will not affect ties

China on Monday said it “noted the political change” in Pakistan, adding that it “will not affect” bilateral relations between the close allies. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said China “has noted the political change in Pakistan.” “As a close neighbour and an iron-clad friend of Pakistan, China sincerely hopes that all parties of Pakistan can stay united and jointly defend national stability and development,” spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. We believe the political change in Pakistan will not affect the overall China-Pakistan relations.” The Communist Party-run Global Times quoted experts as saying with the return to power of the Pakistan Muslim League “China-Pakistan cooperation could be even better because these traditional major parties have much closer and deeper ties with China”. “When Sharif was regional leader of the eastern province of the Punjab, he struck many BRI cooperation deals with China directly to improve local infrastructure and economic development, and his family have maintained long-standing ties with China as his brother Nawaz Sharif is a three-time former prime minister and the leader who kicked off the CPEC project,” the newspaper said. During the meeting, Mr. Wang said “China appreciates the positive efforts and important contributions made by the Pakistani military over the years to consolidate and enhance the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan.”