Mahnoor Ansar/DNA
Islamabad, April 21 (DNA): Chinese Embassy will commemorate the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to Pakistan, by holding a symposium on “Jointly Build the China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future” here on Monday.
In April of 2015 President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Pakistan. The two countries established the world’s first all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, formulated the layout of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and set direction for the leapfrog development of China-Pakistan relations in the new era, said Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong on the occasion.
Looking back on the past extraordinary decade, the CPEC has flourished like a towering tree, the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has shone brightly, and the two countries have jointly written a magnificent epic of iron brothers developing with common interests and shared future, the Ambassador said according to INP.
He added, ” Over the past decade, we have supported and helped each other, promoting and upgrading China-Pakistan relations with high-level mutual trust.
As President Xi Jinping said, friendship between China and Pakistan is based on trust and mutual support, and we have been devoted friends through both good and hard times. Our friendship is a pacesetter for amicable relations between countries.
From China’s assistance in evacuating 176 Pakistani nationals from a third country in 2015 to the safe return of over 200 Pakistani citizens from a third country in 2023, from the joint fight against COVID-19 to China’s post-flood reconstruction assistance to Pakistan after the 2022 flood, we repaid kindness with greater generosity, setting a good example of international relations in the new era. Over the past decade, leaders of the two countries have maintained frequent exchanges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited China in June last year, Premier Li Qiang visited Pakistan in October of the same year, and President Asif Ali Zardari visited China in February this year.
The political mutual trust between China and Pakistan has been continuously strengthened. President Xi Jinping held talks and meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and reached important consensus, setting the direction and injecting strong impetus for China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation under the new circumstances.
We are willing to work with Pakistan to fully implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ high-level leaders and transform it into solid actions and rich outcomes of the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
Over the past decade, we have upheld fairness and justice while fostering shared prosperity, and achieved common development through high-level practical cooperation.
President Xi Jinping emphasized that China is committed to a friendly policy toward all Pakistani people, an instructed that the planning and layout of the CPEC should cover all parts of Pakistan so that the benefit can all Pakistani people.
As the pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the CPEC has progressed from a sketch to a fine drawing filled with details over the decade. Gwadar has transformed from a fishing village into a regional hub. Electricity from Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant lit up countless households.
Orange Line Metro Train runs through the thousand-year-old metropolis of Lahore. The Khunjerab Pass is open all year round. The CPEC has brought a total of US$25.4 billion in direct investment, 236,000 jobs, 510 kilometers of highways, more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity and 886 kilometers of core transmission to Pakistan. China-Pakistan trade has exceeded 23 billion USD.
As 2025 marks the crucial year for China’s comprehensive deepening of reforms and Pakistan’s inaugural year for “Uraan Pakistan” plan, we are willing to further strengthen strategic alignment with Pakistan, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, provide new development opportunities for Pakistan with new achievements in Chinese modernization, and create a new model of South-South cooperation through extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
Over the past decade, we have stood together through thick and thin, and safeguarded the steady development of our bilateral relations with high-level security cooperation.
As President Xi Jinping emphasized, security is the prerequisite for development, and development the guarantee for security. Security cooperation and economic cooperation complement each other like two wheels that must turn in unison.
These important observations have charted the course for our coordinated efforts in security and economic collaboration. With the world entering a period of turbulence and transformation, China-Pakistan cooperation faces growing risks and challenges that demand even more robust and reliable security safeguards.
