ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that friendship with China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, which enjoys full support at the public, political and institutional levels, while relations between the two countries are moving forward with strength from generation to generation.
Addressing a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, President Zardari said that the two countries have developed their partnership on the principles of mutual respect, trust and common development.
He said that Pakistan and China have supported each other in every difficult time and protected each other’s core national interests. According to him, this trust makes the relations between the two countries unique on the global stage.
President Zardari appreciated the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping and said that his development vision and cooperation have created new dimensions in Pakistan-China relations. He said that the CPEC project is playing a historic role in the socio-economic development of Pakistan.
He thanked China for its continuous support in various development projects including Gwadar Port and said that these projects are helping to stabilize Pakistan’s economy. According to him, further progress is expected in the fields of industrial cooperation, modern technology and investment in the future.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Cai Dafeng, said that Pakistan and China started a new era of bilateral cooperation by establishing diplomatic relations in 1951.
He said that in the past 75 years, the two countries have further strengthened their “iron friendship” despite the changing global situation. According to him, Pakistan-China cooperation is playing an important role in promoting peace, development and stability in the region.
Cai Dafeng said that China is ready to further strengthen strategic ties with Pakistan, promote high-level exchanges and enhance cooperation under CPEC 2.0. He said that cooperation will be expanded in areas such as agriculture, minerals, industry, information technology, science, environment and green development.
While supporting Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism, the Chinese leader expressed hope that Pakistan will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and projects.
According to analysts, Pakistan-China relations hold an important position in the geopolitics of the region, and the growing economic and defence partnership between the two countries is likely to strengthen further in the future. Experts say that CPEC 2.0 can create new opportunities for investment, employment and industrial development in Pakistan.
