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    Vice President Wang Qishan lauds 'Friends of Silk Road', a Pakistan-China Institute Initiative

    Written by: Staff Report
    Posted on: May 28, 2019 | | 中文

    (L-R) Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director Pakistan-China Institute; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate and H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan

    Three months after it launched the initiative, Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) had the honour of hosting Vice President of China, H.E. Mr Wang Qishan for a fruitful second event under the banner of ‘Friends of Silk Road’ at the Serena Hotel, Islamabad on Sunday, 26th May, 2019.

    Friends of Silk Road is a people’s platform of Pakistan, which brings together stakeholders from different segments of society, including parliamentarians, business leaders, civil society, media, cultural sector and local communities with a focus on women and youth, with the aim of enhancing the understanding of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    (L-R) Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China; Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan

    (L-R) Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China; Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan

    While H.E. Mr Wang Qishan was attending as chief guest, other speakers included Chairman PCI and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chairman Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani.

    (L-R) Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director Pakistan-China Institute; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee

    (L-R) Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director Pakistan-China Institute; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee

    Executive Director PCI,  Mustafa Hyder Sayed began the proceedings by directing attention towards the diverse and distinguished audience, which included people from all corners of Pakistan; across the political, business and media spectrum as well as representatives of the arts and culture, civil society, universities, women  and youth organizations. H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan was present among other esteemed guests, including prominent cultural representatives such as the artist Jimmy Engineer, Saadaan Peerzada, CEO of Rafi-Peer Arts & Theatre Group, and Founder of Ajoka Theatre, Shahid Mehmood Nadeem. The gathering was a testament to the strong people to people bond of Pakistan and China.

    (L-R) Prominent businessman Iqbal Z Ahmed, Founder of Ajoka Theatre, Shahid Mehmood Nadeem and scholar Ahmed Rizwan

    (L-R) Prominent businessman Iqbal Z Ahmed, Founder of Ajoka Theatre, Shahid Mehmood Nadeem and scholar Ahmed Rizwan

    In his opening remarks, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed welcomed and introduced H.E. Wang Qishan, who is known for his expertise in the areas of economy, banking, history, governance and accountability. He went on to highlight the implications of three recently held Chinese conferences including the Joint Consultation Mechanism (JCM) on CPEC hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China in March, the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held in April and the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC)held last week. The CDAC, which primarily focused on cultural connectivity, was also attended by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, as representative of Pakistan. While talking about the conference, the Senator explained that in his remarks President Xi had rejected the notion of clash of civilizations, emphasizing that “the best bridge among civilisations is people, and they are our key for mutual learning.” In this context, Pakistan-China Institute through ‘Friends of Silk Road’ brought together a “mini-Pakistan” to extend their full support to CPEC. While congratulating H.E. Wang Qishan on the 70th Anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China, Senator Mushahid elucidated the three key ingredients of Chinese success; their economic model, their foreign policy, and their focus on cultural connectivity. “Asia will move forward with connectivity and cooperation, not confrontation or containment,” he said.

    (L-R) Saadaan Peerzada, CEO of Rafi-Peer Arts & Theatre Group with Jimmy Engineer, the artist

    (L-R) Saadaan Peerzada, CEO of Rafi-Peer Arts & Theatre Group with Jimmy Engineer, the artist

    In his speech, Shah Mehmood Qureshi appreciated H.E. Wang Qishan’s dedicated endeavours to strengthen Pak-China friendship. He affirmed that Pak-China friendship is rooted in, “shared values, experiences, objectives and aspirations for peace, harmony and shared prosperity.” With CPEC entering a new phase of socio-economic cooperation, he said that local communities are the main beneficiaries, and that the government, “will continue to be invested in the social uplift of our people, with China as a supporter.” He reminded attendees that Pakistan and China are celebrating 2019 as the year of sister city relations, to further people to people interactions.

    While addressing the audience, Chairman Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani acknowledged the importance of ‘Friends of Silk Road,’ since “Pakistan is the first among BRI countries to launch this forum to create awareness about the benefits and opportunities of CPEC and BRI.” He went on to iterate that CPEC itself symbolizes a common vision, of inclusive, connected and integrated Asia, and expressed Pakistan’s agreement with President Xi’s proposal at the CDAC, “to consolidate the cultural foundations for a shared future.” Alongside economic ties, he recognized the significance of cultural connectivity for the common goal of a peaceful Asia.

    In the manner of a true historian, H.E. Wang Qishan began by tracing the development of friendly Pak-China relations for the past 2000 years. “Eminent monks such as Tu Cheng and Kumarajiva of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Faxian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty, through their pilgrimages across the region and translations of Buddhist scriptures, left behind many widely told stories of China-Pakistan friendly exchanges.” He went onto say that ‘Friends of Silk Road’ is a continuation of these exchanges. While discussing CPEC in context of the international situation, he emphasized China’s commitment to “open, green and clean cooperation that follows a high standard, people-centered and sustainable approach.” Vice President also appreciated the role of Pakistan-China Institute in organising this unique event. He concluded by invoking the Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s quote, “We are not afraid of the deep sea or the fire, because we believe in the sun and the future,” as a driving force for closer Pakistan-China cooperation.

    The audience

    The audience

     


    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