Pakistan and China Mark 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said Islamabad and Beijing shared a “converging vision” on regional and global matters. “Pakistan and China share a converging vision on regional and global issues,” said Dar while addressing the Senate. A Chinese delegation was present in the visitors’ gallery to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. The foreign minister emphasized that cooperation between Pakistan and China at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and other international forums had been “vital in defending the interests of developing countries and promoting global peace”. During his address, Dar said that he will be accompanying PM Shehbaz Sharif on his state visit to China from May 23 to 26, during which they will also attend celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of Pak-China ties. The visit will include meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, as well as business-to-business (B2B) meetings. Dar highlighted the joint initiative by the two neighbours to “promote peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, noting that it reflected a “shared sense of responsibility as peace-loving nations to contribute to global security and stability”. The deputy PM observed that over the past 75 years, the relationship between Islamabad and Beijing has “grown from strength to strength into a robust economic and strategic partnership”. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stands as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative and a shining example of shared vision for regional connectivity and prosperity. Dar stressed that CPEC has played a key role in transforming Pakistan’s economic landscape, and Islamabad looks forward to its next phase, CPEC 2.0, “focusing on industrialisation, agriculture, IT and socio-economic development”. The National Assembly and the Senate also passed separate resolutions to commemorate the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. The resolutions recalled the historic, time-tested and iron-clad friendship between Pakistan and China, a friendship that has been nurtured through the hard work and wisdom of successive generations of leadership and the enduring goodwill of the peoples of both countries. The resolutions appreciated China’s “unyielding support” to Pakistan on issues concerning its core interest and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the one-China principle. The Senate welcomed the growing parliamentary and inter-parliamentary engagement between Pakistan and China and expressed the desire to further strengthen these ties in the spirit of dialogue, understanding and cooperation for regional and global peace, stability and development. Meanwhile, a delegation from China led by Cai Dafeng, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), arrived in Islamabad to attend the commemorative activities marking the 75th anniversary of Pak-China diplomatic ties. The delegation was received by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, along with MNA Romina Khurshid Alam, convener of the Pakistan-China Parliamentary Friendship Group. The Chinese delegation will remain in Islamabad from May 20-21. In his remarks on the floor of the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar noted, “Few friendships between nations carry the confidence and consistency seen between Pakistan and China.” He said the Pak-China relationship was “built on mutual trust, steadfast support, and full respect for each other’s sovereignty and core interests”. The resolutions passed by the National Assembly and the Senate demonstrate the commitment of both nations to further deepen their bilateral cooperation and carry their extraordinary friendship forward from generation to generation.