Islamabad:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday congratulated China President Xi Jinping for securing a third term as the country’s top leader.
Mr Sharif called Xi Jinping’s re-election a tribute to his “unwavering devotion” towards the people of China.Â
“On behalf of the entire Pakistani nation, I congratulate President Xi Jinping on his reelection as CPC General Secretary for the 3rd term. It is a glowing tribute to his sagacious stewardship and unwavering devotion for serving the people of China,” tweeted Mr Sharif.
On behalf of the entire Pakistani nation, I congratulate President Xi Jinping on his reelection as CPC General Secretary for the 3rd term. It is a glowing tribute to his sagacious stewardship and unwavering devotion for serving the people of China. 🇵🇰 🇨🇳
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 23, 2022
Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi, while congratulating his Chinese counterpart, called him a “true friend of Pakistan”.
“I extend heartiest congratulations to H.E. Xi Jinping on his reelection as CPC General Secretary, and my best wishes for his health and happiness. He is a true friend of Pakistan and champion for All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China,” Mr Alvi tweeted.
I extend heartiest congratulations to H.E. Xi Jinping on his reelection as CPC General Secretary, and my best wishes for his health and happiness. He is a true friend of Pakistan and champion for All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China. 🇵🇰 🇨🇳
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 23, 2022
Xi Jinping was on Sunday re-elected as the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China for a record third five-year term, a privilege only accorded to party founder Mao Zedong.
Xi was also reappointed head of China’s Central Military Commission.
His reappointment as party leader is a watershed moment in China’s modern history, tilting decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among the elite.
The 69-year-old is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China’s president, due to be formally announced during the government’s annual legislative sessions in March.
China is a key economic and political partner of Pakistan, pushing ahead with multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Launched in 2015, CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China’s ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).Â