China and Pakistan have agreed on the participation of third parties in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and exchanges among media and think tanks, including promoting cooperation schemes involving third parties in line with the existing consensus and extending CPEC projects to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

During the third meeting of the Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination under the CPEC held last week, both sides agreed to well grasp the general direction of development of the CPEC, he said during his regular briefing held in Beijing.

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He said the two sides agreed to properly cope with risks and challenges to accumulate positive energy, inject new impetus into, and provide a strong guarantee for the development of CPEC.

The relevant CPEC meeting held via video link and co-chaired by China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood exchanged views and reached common understandings on the participation of third parties in CPEC, exchanges among media and think tanks, including promoting cooperation schemes involving third parties in line with existing consensus and extending CPEC projects to Afghanistan.

The spokesperson said that the two sides also agreed to continue to deepen media cooperation and do a good job in telling CPEC stories, and innovate and expand cooperation among think tanks to provide more public support and insights for the development of CPEC.

China stands ready to work with Pakistan to follow through on the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and push forward all CPEC projects in a safe, smooth, and high-quality manner to better benefit the two countries and two peoples, he added.

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Meanwhile, in a tweet, Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said that the third meeting of CPEC JWG on International Cooperation placed emphasis on high-quality development of CPEC.

As an open and inclusive platform, both sides welcomed interested third parties to benefit from avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation opened by CPEC, he added.