China an integral part of enabling a prosperous Pakistan: FM Qureshi

by Shafqat Ali

ISLAMABAD, Jul 8 (Gwadar pro)- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said Iron Brother China was an integral part of enabling a prosperous Pakistan.

FM Qureshi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi were key speakers at a conference titled "Pakistan-China at 70: A Unique Bilateral Partnership" organized by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI).

The event was aimed at celebrating the 70 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. The conference brought together China and Pakistan’s key government officials, academicians, journalists, students, and civil society members under one roof.

The conference invited 24 esteemed panelists from both sides to talk about the importance of upholding the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic partnership.

In his speech, Foreign Minister Qureshi talked about this friendship which he said is rooted in the heart of cooperation between the two countries. He talked of the cooperation between both countries especially during the pandemic as China has so far donated Pakistan 3.5 million doses of vaccine, and said that Pakistan has always supported Chinese core interests. Pakistan also stood with the Chinese stance on making vaccines a global public good.

He talked of Pakistanis' aspirations for peace and stability, and how China is an integral part of enabling a prosperous Pakistan. He also highlighted numerous celebrations in commemoration of 70 years of the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China held across both countries.

In his video address, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Counselor Wang Yi highlighted that China and Pakistan are all-weather friends who understand and respect each other despite social and cultural differences.

He stressed the need for practicing multilateralism and said that the zero-sum game emanating from the cold war mentality should be rejected, and all countries should work together. He also said that moving forward, Pakistan and China should join hands in safeguarding international peace, engage in dialogue with political parties of Pakistan, and encourage other countries to join against regional security threats.

After the opening session, four sessions respectively titled "A Model State to State Partnership- Historical Context",  "People to People Connectivity- The foundation of Pakistan- China friendship", "Pakistan-China's Shared Interests in the Changing Regional Scenario", "China- Pakistan Economic Corridor: The Way Forward" were held.

The event lasted for seven hours and had a full house of over 200 people from leading Pakistani and Chinese media, think tanks, governments, and civil society organizations.