ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan signed a memorandum on translation and publication of classics to give fresh impetus to cultural and people-to-people exchanges between them.
Although diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan were established on May 21, 1951, the interaction between them started thousands of years ago. Famous Chinese monks Xuan Zang and Fa Xian traveled to Pakistan’s areas around 2,000 years ago to learn Buddhism.
Ancient traders from China, traveling to Europe via the Silk Route, passed through parts of Pakistan several thousand years ago proving interactions between the two nations. The ancient traders also interacted with local people and learned about each other’s culture.
The base of friendship between China and Pakistan is solid and deep. In the early days of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the focus of our relations was primarily political and diplomatic. Then defense ties got momentum, especially after the India-China war in 1962.
In the 1970s, Pakistan facilitated normalizing relations between China and the US. Pakistan contributed to getting the UN seat for China.
Cooperations between China and Pakistan enhanced rapidly, and agreements were signed between the two countries in many sectors, including cooperation in education, culture, science and technology, etc.
The signing of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in 2013 opened many avenues of cooperation on the economic front. Initially, the focus was on power projects and infrastrutre developments. But in phase II, the focus is agriculture, industrialization, social sector, health, and poverty eradication. The success of CPEC depends on how much understanding and harmony has developed between the two nations. There is a dire need to understand each other’s culture, language, traditions, history, political system, and governance.
– The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
