ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador said within just eight months starting from June last year, the prime ministers of both countries exchanged visits, and Pakistan’s president Zardari successfully visited China.
Such close high-level exchanges vividly demonstrate the extraordinary friendship between our na-tions. The important consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping with Pakistani leaders, has injected strong impetus into advancing China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation under new circumstances.
He said that Pakistan has consistently adhered to the one-China principle, standing firmly with China on issues concerning our core interests. “When confronting challenges like earthquakes, floods, and pandemic, we have repeatedly written heartwarming stories of solidarity and mutual assistance.”
Ambassador said that the unbreakable iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan has withstood the test of global uncertainties, and witnessing new chapter in building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
The ambassador said that over the past 74 years, we have advocated the Silk Road Spirit and joined hands in pursuing common development. The Silk Road Culture Center where we stand today reminds us of the Silk Road Spirit, characterized by peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and benefit.
He said that the CPEC and BRI have fully reflected this spirit. China has been Pakistan’s largest trading partner for ten consecutive years, consistently serving as the largest source of imports, the second-largest export destination, and also the primary source of foreign investment.
He said that after 12 years of development, CPEC has entered a new phase of “upgraded version”, making significant contributions to Pakistan’s economic and social development.
Chinese Ambassador said that since the end of last year, the Gwadar New International Airport has commenced commercial operations, the Khunjerab Pass has achieved all-year round opening, the first batch of 1,000 Pakistani agricultural professionals are enjoy training in China, 278 sets of advanced agri-cultural machinery worth 30 million yuan in aid have been allocated to local people, and 50,000 health kits have been successfully distributed to the needed. “We will promote the implementation of the eight major steps on high-quality Belt and Road coopera-tion in Pakistan, in line with Pakistan’s 5Es framework, to seize new priorities such as agricultural and industrial cooperation, create new highlights in mining and new energy sectors, foster growth points like B2B and cross-border e-commerce, implement more “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, and ensure that China-Pakistan cooperation delivers more tangible benefits to people of both countries.”
He said that as key members of the Global South and important forces for safeguarding fairness and justice, China and Pakistan have maintained close coordination within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Chinese Ambassador said, “We stand ready to deepen high-level interactions with Pakistan, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, promote the mutual learning and flourishing of Chi-nese and Islamic civilizations, and advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” –Agencies
