After arriving in Islamabad, Premier Li Qiang received the honour guard at the Prime Minister's House, where he met his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, on Monday.

Pakistan's capital was under strict security lockdown as Li landed in the city ahead of a heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation this week.

Both the premiers held delegation-level talks. Sharif's office said that he and Li discussed economic and trade ties and cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a US$65 billion investment in the South Asian country under President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative.

They both also inaugurated virtually the CPEC-funded Gwadar International Airport in southwestern Balochistan province in a ceremony telecast live by Pakistan's state run TV.

Li hailed the new international airport as a vivid illustration of the special friendship between China and Pakistan.

Under the strategic guidance of President Xi and Pakistani leaders, the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has been continuously deepened, and the China-Pakistan ironclad friendship, which has stood the test of changes in the international situation, is unbreakable, Li said.

The Premier also met with the country's top military officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army Sahir Shamshad Mirza, according to Xinhua news agency.

Noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Pakistan have always respected and supported each other, Li said that the two countries are good brothers and good partners who have stood the test of the changing international landscape and truly shared weal and woe and helped each other. (Agencies)