ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House on Monday, in a meeting that reaffirmed Islamabad and Beijing's long-standing strategic partnership and touched on the wider regional situation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Syed Tauqir Shah and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch attended the meeting.

The prime minister conveyed his regards to President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang and, recalling his visit to China in May, said the two countries would keep working to implement the decisions and agreements reached by their leadership. The two sides also discussed developments in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South Asia, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The ambassador thanked the prime minister for receiving him and said China regarded Pakistan as an "iron brother," pledging continued support for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as its socio-economic development.

The meeting followed a similar call last month at which the two sides had pushed to accelerate work on an upgraded phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with cooperation flagged in areas including agriculture, industry and minerals. CPEC's flagship projects include the deep-water port at Gwadar in Balochistan, where the security of Chinese personnel and projects has been a recurring concern for both governments.