On May 21, 1951, Pakistan and China officially established diplomatic relations. Over the past 75 years, Pakistan and China have stood together through thick and thin, sharing a common destiny and cultivating a unique 'ironclad friendship', becoming a model of international political mutual trust and lasting cooperation. Our relationship is based on trust, respect, and the belief that a shared future needs to be created together.
The relationship between many countries still remains at the level of interest exchange, but the development path of Pakistan China relations has undergone a fundamental transformation. The friendship between our two countries stems from faith and goes beyond considerations of interests. True friends not only provide timely assistance, but also invest in each other's tomorrow.
The early partnership between Pakistan and China focused on political mutual trust and security cooperation, and this strategic trust foundation was not only consolidated, but also continuously expanded and deepened. Nowadays, the areas of cooperation between the two sides have already gone beyond politics and defense, covering various aspects such as economy, technology, and cultural exchanges.
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor has become the flagship project of the "the Belt and Road" initiative. In the first decade, the corridor project transported electricity to millions of households, built highways and port infrastructure in the midst of natural disasters, and opened up channels between Pakistan and surrounding regions as well as global markets. The potential of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor lies in the second phase of construction focusing on industrialization, socio-economic development and high-quality sustainable development, which is highly consistent with China's high-quality vision of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" and Pakistan's "5Es" development framework based on export, digital, environment, energy and fair empowerment.
The recently launched Pakistan multifunctional communication satellite project and the training program for thousands of Pakistani agricultural experts in China are vivid examples of the spirit of a community with a shared future. Soon, Pakistani astronauts will go to the Chinese space station, which indicates that our friendship is moving towards the stars and the sea!
Since June 2024, Pakistan and China have conducted multiple high-level visits, promoting the construction of the "Five Corridors" of growth, people's livelihood, innovation, green and openness. In addition to intergovernmental cooperation, the cooperation between the business communities of the two countries is also very close. During the visit to China in June 2024, the Pakistan China Business Conference held in Shenzhen opened a new chapter in economic and trade exchanges between the two countries, facilitating over a thousand business connections and signing more than 30 memorandums in a single day. Afterwards, six industry roadshows were held in the fields of textiles, leather, fisheries, fruits and vegetables, medical equipment, plastics, etc., and multiple agreements were reached. Our goal this year is to achieve more cooperation. The second Pakistan China Business Conference held this time is expected to facilitate 2000 business connections in nine key areas.
In order to attract Chinese enterprises and promote economic and trade cooperation between Pakistan and China, the Pakistani side has implemented a series of facilitation measures: simplifying the business, work, and investment visa process for Chinese citizens and shortening the approval time; Establishing dedicated channels and lounges for Chinese businessmen at Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad airports; The recently unveiled Islamabad Business Convenience Center provides investors with one-stop services; At the same time, accelerate the approval of profit remittance, ensure the payment of funds by power enterprises, and effectively fulfill financial commitments.
The friendship between nations lies in people's matchmaking, and people's matchmaking lies in heart to heart communication. The people of Pakistan and China regard each other as "iron brothers" rather than strangers - known as "Ba Tie" in Chinese, it belongs solely to Pakistan, which is the highest praise. The increasing number of students studying in China, the Gandhara art exhibition touring in China, and close cultural diplomacy are constantly narrowing the distance between the hearts of the two countries. The new cooperation between entrepreneurs, artists, and internet celebrities from the two countries proves that the new generation not only inherits friendship, but also endows the friendship between Pakistan and China with new connotations.
Next year, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Our partnership is not indulging in nostalgia, but striving for the future. China is rapidly moving towards the future through green development, artificial intelligence, and digital finance, while Pakistan is promoting reform and stability through the use of a light labor force, positioning itself as a hub for regional connectivity and various opportunities. The intersection of these trajectories is not only natural, but also inevitable.
The current priority is to make long-term cooperation more institutionalized: building a cooperation mechanism that transcends political levels, exploring new areas of cooperation, and ensuring that the rock solid all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China is transformed into prosperity, sharing, and mutual benefit.
From the the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, and now to the vast space, our friendship has always been an epic of trust and change. The future is full of hope and opportunities, and we should continue to work together to create brilliance.
(The author is the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan)
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