DM Monitoring
BEIJING: A Chinese father and his daughter, who are famous in China and have contributed to Pak-China friendship for 65 years, were respectively awarded the Hilal-I-Pakistan and Sitara-I-Pakistan across 33 years.
To mark the 70th anniversary of China-Pakistan diplomatic ties, China Economic Net had an interview with the daughter, Geng Ying. She recalled how she and her father, Geng Biao, have fought for Pak-China friendship.
Geng Biao (1909-2000), the former vice-premier of China during 1978-1983, is rarely mentioned as another position — China’s former ambassador to Pakistan. However, during his lifetime, he opened the epoch and extended the roots for the “Iron brotherhood” between Pakistan and China.
His eldest daughter, Geng Ying, also follows her father’s footsteps and continues to work for their lofty aspiration. She said, “I hope I can step on all the places where my father works and do more for the people of Pakistan in my lifetime.”
Because there was no professional diplomatic team in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Geng Biao was transformed from a general into an ambassador.
In 1956, Geng Biao was appointed as the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, and the appointment coincided with the founding ceremony of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He wrote in his memoir: “… Pakistan is a close neighbor of China and has friendly relations in history.
The establishment of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a great opportunity to enhance bilateral exchanges and friendship, “Then, Geng Biao began to read the relevant materials carefully, hoping to “advance the appointment” and make a good start for the friendship between the two countries.
In March 1956, Geng Biao arrived in Pakistan and went to his appointed post in advance as he wished. A few days after Geng Biao’s arrival in his office, the then Governor General made an exception to meet him before the credential presentation.
At that time, a Pakistani official told Geng Biao that this was the first time for the governor general to meet a foreign ambassador who had not yet presented his credentials, which showed the importance the governor attached to the Chinese government and the ambassador.
On 23 March, Geng Biao also became the first Chinese ambassador to Pakistan.
