China and Pakistan have always trusted each other: Ambassador Nong Rong

Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan 70 years ago, China and Pakistan have always trusted and supported each other.

“We have been standing side by side with each other — be it at the crucial time when New China sought to break new ground in its foreign relations against foreign blockade, or at the vital moment when Pakistan’s national security and dignity were at stake. Thanks to the commitment of generations of our leaders and our peoples, the friendship between China and Pakistan is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the two countries and has become the cross-party, cross-class, and cross-regional consensus of the two countries,” he said in his speech at a dialogue between the ruling parties of Pakistan and China –the Pakistan  Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Communist Party of China.

He said President Xi Jinping paid a historical state visit to Pakistan in 2015, and leaders of the two countries elevated the bilateral relationship to an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, opening a new chapter in China-Pakistan friendship.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) is booming, and it is working hard to build it into a demonstration project of high-quality development of the “Belt and Road”.China-Pakistan cooperation in various fields is booming, especially duringthe COVID-19 pandemic, with excellent performance to set a benchmark for global anti-pandemic cooperation. China and Pakistan are walking towards building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, and next 70 yearswill surely usher in a more glorious future, he said.

Since the establishment of party-to-party relations between the CPC and the PTI for 10 years, the two parties have continued to exchange experiences in governing the party and the country, and have always integrated deepening pragmatic cooperation with people-to-people bonds, served and promoted the development of relations between the two countries, he said.

The envoy said since PTI came into power in 2018, the high-level exchanges between the two parties have become closer. General Secretary of the Central Committee of CPC and President of China Xi Jinping met with the Chairman of PTI and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan three times and maintained close contact through different channels during the COVID-19 pandemic, consolidating mutual trust and drawing a blueprint for the development of China-Pakistan relations. President of Pakistan Alvi sent a congratulatory letter to the second meeting of the CPECPolitical Parties Consultation Mechanism, and President Xi Jinping delivered an oral message to President Alvi.

“On the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, the leaders of the two countries exchanged congratulatory letters. The close interaction between the leaders has further enhanced the political mutual trust between the two countries and promoted the bilateral relations to open up brighter prospects.

2021 is a milestone for both CPC and PTI. It is not only the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPC, but also the 25th anniversary of the founding of PTI. At present, CPC is leading the Chinese people to strive for the building of a modern socialist country and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he said.

Ambassador Rong said the PTI was promoting the strategic transformation of Pakistan from geopolitics to geoeconomics and striving to realize the “Naya Pakistan”Vision. China is willing to deepen exchanges on governance with Pakistan, accelerate the docking of development strategies, and assist Pakistan in realizing its vision at an early date, so as to work together for the benefit of the people and the region.

“In the next stage, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan will take the implementation of the consensus of the leaders of the two parties and two countries as its mission, resolutely follow the unified deployment of the CPC Central Committee, and under the guidance of the International Department of CPC Central Committee, fully support the implementation of the programme of action for exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, especially the five-point initiative put forward by the Minister Song Tao and the important opinions put forward by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. We will give full play to the advantages of political party diplomacy, carry out higher-level, broader and deeper cooperation with Pakistan, and join hands to continue toinject new connotations to the All-weather Strategic Partnership between China and Pakistan, and contribute to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,” he said.