BEIJING: The celebrations of Pakistan-China Year of Friendly Relations 2015 were launched here Monday at a ceremony co-hosted by Tsinghua University and China-Pakistan Institute.
The event was attended by leading luminaries from China and Pakistan actively associated with promoting friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
The event also coincided with the 5th birth anniversary of Pakistan China Institute.
Speaking to the gathering, Ambassador Masood Khalid said that the sentiment that China is a true friend of Pakistan as it remains deeply etched in the hearts and minds of Pakistani people.
With the relationship having successfully weathered several decades since independence of the two countries, the Chinese, young and old, consider Pakistanis to be their iron brothers and closest friends, he said, adding that the friendship is deeper than the oceans, higher than mountains and sweeter than honey.
In the years to come, he said this friendship was bound to blossom further,remain ever green and reap dividends for our future generations.
Ambassador Khalid said that the two countries had broken new grounds of cooperation. Pakistan and China were working on the mega project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which had become an important policy instrument for regional connectivity and regional integration and was also in line with the vision of President Xi Jinping to revive the old Silk Route through operationalization of Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
The Silk Road economic belt would connect different regions and civilizations, enhance trade, economic growth and common prosperity. By linking the Gwadar Port via the Karakorum Highway with Xinjiang, the economic corridor would prove to be a game changer. Pakistan would serve as a bridge for China with Middle East, Africa and Europe, for its trade and energy requirements.
These transportation routes would greatly reduce the distances for China’s trade that is being done through Indian Ocean and the Malacca Straits, he added.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong said that China-Pakistan relations had become an example of state to state relations. In year 2014, China-Pakistan relations had made great strides. China was now preparing to set up a new Consulate General in Lahore and a Confucius Institute in Faisalabad, in addition to the China Cultural Centre located in Islamabad.
He said both countries looked forward to have further exchanges of visits, to have more high level contacts to promote mutual friendship and cooperation in various fields including politics, economy and people to people contacts.
He said China Pakistan Economic Corridor would be further promoted, particularly cooperation in trade, investment, energy and communications would be strengthened.
He said that a series of activities especially between legislatures, parties, local governments, youth, think tanks, to further promote mutual cooperation giving a solid foundation to build on, had been planned.
Senator Mushahid Hussain, who is also the head of the Pakistan China Institute (PCI), said that the day was special as the year of China-Pakistan friendship was being launched and also the 5th birth anniversary of Pakistan China Institute was being celebrated.
He said that his institute was the first non-governmental initiative of the two neighbours and strategic partners, that took the initiate of introducing Chinese language classes, in holding the first Pakistan, China , Afghanistan trilateral Dialogue and launched President Xi Jinping’s book “The Governance of China,” in Islamabad.
Zhao Baige, Vice Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress, Director of Tsinghua International Centre for Communication Professor Li Xiguang, Zhao Baige, Vice Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of NPC,Zhai Huisheng, Party Secretary and Executive President of All China Journalists Association, Ai Ping, former Vice Minister of the International Department of CPC, Sun Weidong, Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman, China-Pakistan Institute, Ambassador Sha Zukang, President, China – Pakistan Friendship Association, Prof Li Xiguang, Director, Tsinghua University Center for Pakistan Culture and Communication Studies and Ambassador Masood Khalid were the key participants on the occasion.
