ISLAMABAD, Oct. 15 -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Tuesday that China is ready to work with Pakistan to maintain close high-level exchanges and firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests.

Li made the remarks during his talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers with a long tradition of friendship, as their ironclad friendship has grown stronger and fresher as time goes on, Li said.

Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani leaders, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has been deepened, the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation has been fruitful, and the popular support for friendship has been ever solid, he said.

The Chinese premier noted that China has always viewed its relations with Pakistan from a strategic and long-term perspective and always placed Pakistan as a priority in China's neighborhood diplomacy, adding that China is willing to work with Pakistan to push the China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation to new levels and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

The Chinese side, Li said, is also ready to work with Pakistan to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, step up the alignment of development strategies, expand economic and trade cooperation, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and make further efforts to turn the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a landmark project of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation for better mutual benefit and win-win results.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in the field of security, Li said, adding that the Chinese side believes that Pakistan will continue to make every effort to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan.

For his part, Zardari said the Pakistan-China friendship enjoys a long history and is deeply rooted in the hearts of people, adding that despite constant changes in the international situation, bilateral ties have always made steady progress and always been moving to a new high.

Noting that the Pakistani side firmly abides by the one-China principle, he said Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and Pakistan will, as always, join China in firmly supporting each other on issues regarding core interests.

He also said that Pakistan is ready to work with China to maintain high-level exchanges, promote the construction of the CPEC, and strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure and people-to-people exchanges to better benefit the two peoples.

Pakistan, he added, will do its utmost to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in his country.