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    Friends of Silk Road launched by Pakistan-China Institute

    Written by: Staff Report
    Posted on: February 15, 2019 | | 中文

    (L-R) Mr. Gao Yunlong, H.E. Mr Yao Jing, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Mr. Syed Shibli Faraz, Mr. Khusro Bakhtiar

    The Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) officially inaugurated the Friends of Silk Road Initiative with an unveiling of the “Friends of Silk Road” plaque by Ambassador of China to Pakistan, H.E. Yao Jing and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on 14th February, 2019 at Serena Hotel. This people’s platform intends to bring together stakeholders from different segments of society, including parliamentarians, business leaders, civil society, media, and local communities with a focus on women and youth, for enhancing the understanding of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    In his opening remarks, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman PCI and Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee of Senate, highlighted the three Cs of CPEC: corridors, cultures and connectivity. While recognizing the fruits of BRI and CPEC, he noted achievements such as speedy resolution of energy crisis, creation of thousands of jobs for locals, and the empowerment of women of Thar. “A whole new world is opening up to Pakistan because of CPEC, and we must thank the Chinese for their vote of confidence in Pakistan for launching CPEC five years ago. ‘Friends of Silk Road’ will take this friendship to new heights,” he said.

    (L-R) H.E. Mr Yao Jing, Mr. Gao Yunlong, Mr. Syed Shibli Faraz and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed

    (L-R) H.E. Mr Yao Jing, Mr. Gao Yunlong, Mr. Syed Shibli Faraz and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed

    His Excellency, Mr. Gao Yunlong, the Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, addressed the ceremony as leader of the Chinese delegation. He began by saying that the Pakistan-China friendship is based on strong public support, “We remain friends despite changes in situations on international and regional front, and thus our friendship is a model for all countries.” While offering suggestions for tackling the challenges of CPEC, he stressed the importance of interactions between people on a personal level, “CPEC is not limited to certain people or groups, but is open to all Pakistani people.” He concluded by saying that Friends of Silk Road will provide a sound platform for the friendly exchanges of people from all walks of life.

    Mr Khusro Bakhtiar, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, who also graced the occasion, called CPEC a corridor with multiple areas such as culture, infrastructure and energy. He reiterated that Pakistan is committed to “hastening the pace” and “broadening the base” of CPEC. In this spirit, he explained that the last Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC had decided that 2019 will be the year of industrial cooperation. He called the Friends of Silk Road “a step in the right direction,” for opening vistas of cooperation in culture.  

    Mr Khusro Bakhtiar addressing the ceremony

    Mr Khusro Bakhtiar addressing the ceremony

    Mr Syed Shibli Faraz, Leader of the House for Senate of Pakistan, gave some historical context of the friendship between China and Pakistan. He noted that our friendship has only improved with time, and there are no parallels of this in the rest of the world. He identified the primary challenge for CPEC, as it's not being widely understood by the people. However, as the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) draw closer, CPEC will directly benefit the masses, and thus an initiative like Friends of Silk Road is timely.

    (L-R) Mr Gao Yunlong, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Mr. Mustafa Hyder Sayed

    (L-R) Mr Gao Yunlong, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Mr. Mustafa Hyder Sayed

    The opening session was followed up by a roundtable discussion, which went into detail regarding the “Impact of CPEC on Pakistan’s socio-economic development.” It was presided over by Senator Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production.

    Mr Hassan Daud, Project Director of CPEC in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, began the discussion by thanking PCI and Senator Mushahid Hussain for coming up with novel ideas for bringing the people of the two countries together.  He re-emphasized the government’s commitment towards CPEC by highlighting previous and current projects, and concluded by calling CPEC, “the primary platform for our shared sustainable and prosperous future.”

    (L-R) Mr. Zhao Lijian, Mr Li Ruogu, Senator Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum and Mr. Hassan Daud

    (L-R) Mr. Zhao Lijian, Mr Li Ruogu, Senator Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qayyum and Mr. Hassan Daud

    Mr Zhao Lijian, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Chinese Embassy, updated the audience on the outcomes of the JCC meeting of last December. He informed the young people in the audience that from 2010 to 2017, the number of Pakistani students in China increased from 2,000 to 23,000, which means that the opportunities for Pakistani students in China are endless. With regards to the future, he identified the two priorities of CPEC as establishing SEZs, and the socio-economic development of Pakistan. Furthermore, he called upon the audience for their help in countering false propaganda against CPEC.

    The discussion concluded on a light note when Mr Li Ruogu, Vice President of the China Peace and Development Foundation and Ex-President of China EXIM Bank, highlighted the importance of learning each other’s language for improving people to people connectivity, and Mr Zamir Ahmed Awan, professor at NUST University, came forth with his comments in fluent Chinese. His Chinese language skills left the Chinese delegation pleasantly surprised, as he appraised them about the graduates and current students of Chinese language in Pakistan. We were reminded of Professor Dr Tang Meng Sheng of Peking University, whose Urdu language skills had similarly left us impressed at the CPEC Media Forum 2017. Mr Zamir further highlighted the presence of both public and private language initiatives, such as the Pakistan-China Institute language classes in Pakistan. He emphasized the need to break the language barrier, upon the Pakistani audience.

    The packed hall

    The packed hall

    A question and answer session was held for interaction between the panelists, the Chinese delegation and the audience. Shields were awarded to the Chinese delegation to commemorate the beginning of the Friends of Silk Road. The event was attended by parliamentarians, senators, civil society members, business leaders, intellectuals and journalists.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021