PM will begin an official visit to China on 1st November.
During his impending visit to China, PM Shehbaz Sharif stated his hopes to further strengthen strategic relationships and business connections with China.
While speaking with China Global Television Network (CGTN), he expressed his desire for the visit to further strengthen strategic ties and promote business and trade with China.
The PM will begin his formal visit to China on November 1. Since taking office in April, this is his first trip to China. The PM also promised to talk about how CPEC may play a larger role in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Following the end of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing, Shehbaz Sharif is among the first group of international leaders to visit China.
“It warms my heart to know that I am one of the first world leaders to visit China, a country I consider to be both brotherly and friendly.” That’s a testament to our closeness, PM said, and a “reflection of the strength of our understanding and our commitment.”
The PM has expressed excitement about meeting with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and other members of the Chinese leadership to discuss expanding collaboration in a wide range of areas.
He thanked the government of China and the Chinese people and businesses that have helped those affected by the floods in Pakistan. The flood victims have been helped by “food supplies, medicines, mosquito nets, and loads of other goods,” he said.
He stated that the Chinese government had already made significant contributions and was inquiring with the Pakistani government about what else China could do to help the flood victims. He admired China’s rapid economic, social, and cultural development and concluded that China is a globalist nation with an economic model he hoped to follow.
He spoke highly of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), now in its advanced second phase, noting that it is the BRI’s flagship project and has already revolutionised Pakistan’s energy industry and infrastructure. He also noted that the shorter travel times and increased accessibility were made possible by the CPEC-funded road network built across the country.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that Pakistan was looking to increase trade and investment links with China by making the most of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement and bolstering industrial collaboration.
The PM of Pakistan wrote an article for a Chinese daily, the Global Times, stating that China might use Pakistan as an extension of its industrial and supply chain network. In the article, Shehbaz Sharif quotes a profound passage from Confucius on friendship: “There are three types of good friends: one that is direct and honest; one that is trustworthy, dependable, and generous when you need help; and one that is knowledgeable and talented to guide you and show you what you can’t see.”
The Great Master’s example shows that China and Pakistan’s relationship is enduring because it possesses all three qualities. The friendship between Pakistan and China is characterised by longevity, love, and trust. There is no other relationship that speaks so directly to the hearts and minds of our people as ours does. In order to capture the spirit of these fantastic bands, the poet uses terms steeped in emotional diction.
Heartwarming tales of generations helping each other out in times of need have become ingrained in our collective psyche. The seed of friendship between Pakistan and China has grown into a thriving tree with deep roots and sturdy branches thanks to the energy of our people and the direction of our leaders. It has survived the ebb and flow of internal shifts and global shocks.
Relations with China are the bedrock of Pakistan’s foreign policy; the Chinese refer to Pakistan as Ba Tie or China’s Iron Brother, and others recognise and admire these relationships for their exceptional fortitude, unwavering stability, and incomprehensible trust.
Soon after the triumphant conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, I would be in Beijing on my first bilateral visit since taking office.
I want to send my warmest congratulations to my brother General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China on the beginning of a New Era of growth in China. I also believe that this marks the beginning of a more fruitful period in the friendship between China and Pakistan. I’ve been fascinated by China’s journey to the centre of global politics and economy, as well as its civilizational ethos and rich historical experiences, ever since I first entered politics. When I first started travelling to China, one of my main goals was to figure out what was behind the country’s incredible rate of progress.
The “Chinese speed” with which the Chinese people accomplish national goals established by the government astounded me, as did the Chinese people’s unselfish dedication, hard work, and labour.
While serving as Chief Minister of Punjab, I made an effort to bring about similar changes in the province’s social and economic climate. As Pakistan’s prime minister, I intend to devote the same level of enthusiasm to achieving our shared development objectives. The world has changed drastically since my last trip to China, and it’s hard to even begin to comprehend how much has changed.
Conflicts, the resurgence of ideological divides, the decoupling of economies and technologies, and an expensive arms race are all the result of rising geopolitical tensions. This is taking place at a time when widespread poverty, disease, and famine continue to plague the world. The effects of Covid-19 and its aftershocks are still being felt in many regions of the world.
Climate change is a genuine and menacing threat today. Recent victims of this phenomenon include Pakistan, which has been hit by disastrous floods. To successfully navigate the new opportunities and threats facing our region and to wean it off of conflict and conflagration, a new paradigm is necessary to meet the 21st century’s imperatives.
We want to have cordial ties with all of our neighbours based on mutual respect and a willingness to work together, and we want to see all unresolved conflicts, including the Kashmir issue, resolved amicably via conversation and diplomacy in accordance with the UN charter and resolutions.
Unique in their origin and impact, these problems pose a direct threat to the forward momentum of globalisation and threaten to undermine many of humanity’s greatest accomplishments if they are allowed to fester unchecked. President Xi has often stated the need for a worldwide effort, an international reaction, and international cooperation. Given the current international situation, the importance of the strategic alliance between China and Pakistan has risen dramatically.
Geographic necessity, shared values, growing economic ties, and a shared sense of destiny have all combined to make us an ideal match. Pakistan is dedicated to advancing our all-weather strategic partnership of collaboration to a new level of confidence and close cooperation, as well as deepening our bilateral connections between our two nations and continuing our mutual support on essential issues and efforts for regional peace and connectivity.
Our longstanding alliance was beautifully illustrated by China’s unwavering support for Pakistan in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
To help with the emergency medical situation in Pakistan, more than sixty relief flights were despatched. Our national immunisation programme relied heavily on vaccines manufactured in China.
In a similar vein, after the recent disastrous floods in Pakistan, the top leadership, central government ministries, provincial governments, enterprises, and regular individuals from all walks of life in China came forward to help the people of Pakistan. It really touched me to see that even young children had donated money after seeing footage of the floods in Pakistan. These heartfelt accounts are a perfect illustration of the brotherly love and camaraderie that unite our two nations.
As it strives for strong, sustainable, and inclusive economic development, Pakistan is currently on the hammer of a historic transformation.
Due to the global economic slowdown, rising food and oil prices, and supply chain disruptions, Pakistan’s economy faces a variety of issues as well. My government is working tirelessly to protect and develop our nation’s natural resources in spite of the global economic downturn.
We take heart in China’s progress toward both the first-century aim of creating a moderately wealthy society and the second-century goal of creating a fully-functioning socialist state as we work toward these ends.
The Chinese economy is Pakistan’s most important trading partner and investor. Our goal is to strengthen economic links between the two countries by maximising the potential of the second phase of the China-Pakistan free trade agreement.
Pakistan has the potential to become China’s manufacturing hub and an integral part of China’s supply chain. Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world, offers Chinese companies attractive investment opportunities in the areas of industry, agriculture modernization, infrastructure, green energy, and the digital economy because of its large young population, talented human resource, and burgeoning market with immense growth potential.
The river basins of Pakistan have provided food for the rest of the subcontinent for millennia. Our two nations can move bilateral collaboration in agriculture forward by capitalising on our shared strengths in several areas: corporate farming; water efficiency; hybrid seed development; high-yield crop research; and the establishment of cold storage networks.
The value of this collaboration has grown as a means of resolving shared concerns about food security. The threat of extinction from climate change is real and immediate.
One-third of Pakistan’s landmass was flooded in the recent record floods, affecting nearly 33 million people and causing enormous economic damage. This climate-related disaster should serve as an alarm to the sceptics and a rallying cry for everyone to work together.
China has strengthened its disaster response mechanism and is a prominent voice in the effort to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. China’s technological advances in early warning systems, disaster management, and infrastructure resilience are areas where we hope to gain insight. The knowledge-based economy is currently the primary factor in national prosperity.
We’re concentrating on establishing tech parks and smart cities in Pakistan and facilitating e-commerce there. We are impressed by China’s rapid technological development and hope to increase our collaboration in cutting-edge fields such as quantum computing, robotics, AI, and big data.
President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative counts Pakistan as its earliest partner. Alongside BRI, President Xi’s Global Development Initiative has our full backing because it will help advance the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
As a significant partner country, Pakistan is excited to collaborate with China to achieve GDI objectives. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the BRI’s crown jewel, has breathed fresh life into our country’s economic growth in only a few short years. With great pride, I recollect that my brother, the late Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, oversaw the official introduction of CPEC.
Many important energy and public transportation projects, such as the coal power plants at Sahiwal, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Park, and Pakistan’s first Lahore Orange Line mass transit project, were completed under my leadership as Chief Minister of Punjab.
CPEC is the backbone of my government’s development programme because of the profound impact it would have on Pakistan and, in turn, the rest of the region. Under its aegis, completed energy and transportation infrastructure projects have paved the way for Pakistan’s economic revival and established a firm basis for collaboration across a wide range of fields.
Key sectors such as industry, energy, agriculture, ICT, rail and road network, and expanding Gwadar Port as a hub of commerce and transhipment, investment, and regional connectivity would be prioritised in the next phase of high-quality development for CPEC.
Our ultimate goal is to use CPEC to boost Pakistan’s economy and improve people’s living conditions in a way that is both equitable and long-lasting. Maintaining the security of Chinese workers and infrastructure in Pakistan is an ongoing priority.
We all mourn the loss of life in Pakistan at the hands of the Chinese. Our friendship and business cooperation are too important to risk losing to anyone. My government will make every effort to find and punish those responsible for these crimes.
A casual observer may assume that national interests on both sides are driving the growing friendship between Pakistan and China. Our shared history and proximity to one another may have facilitated our friendship, according to a historian.
For us in Pakistan, however, and in our hearts, the bonds of brotherhood between our two peoples run much deeper, going beyond the conventional understanding of international relations to forge a bond that will last all of the time.
To ensure that the finest traditions of our bilateral friendship are passed on and that the next generation understands its relevance in today’s rapidly evolving world, we must redouble our efforts to increase cultural exchanges between our two nations and to bring our people together. With a shared commitment to the prosperity of our people and regional peace and stability, Pakistan and China have become indispensable partners.
The weight of history rests on our shoulders, and we want to carry it with honour. In his address to the Pakistani Parliament in April 2015, President Xi praised our connection, calling it “taller than mountains, deeper than seas, and sweeter than honey,” and he said that it would help us achieve our joint goals. As long as there is the friendship between Pakistan and China, the world will be a better place.
