Pakistan, China commence celebrations of 70-year long diplomatic ties

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and China Foreign Minister Wang Yi formally commenced their celebrations of 70-year long diplomatic ties on Tuesday.

At a virtual ceremony held in Islamabad and Beijing simultaneously, Qureshi said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is set to become a ‘high-quality demonstration’ project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The ceremony was attended by some high-ranking officials from both the countries.

Qureshi further said, “We pay tribute to the Chinese leadership, which has done an incredible job in changing the lives and destiny of its people. We believe that President Xi Jinping’s leadership, at a momentous history, has greatly helped Chinese nation to achieve its national aspirations. The successive generations of leaders and people of both the countries made invaluable contributions to strengthen the diplomatic ties.”

Wang Yi underlined that the Pakistan-China friendship has a time-honoured history and in the last seven decades, the two countries have stood together in good and difficult times, and built an exceptional friendship.

A logo was also launched at the ceremony, epitomising the historic nature of Pakistan-China ties.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, both the countries have planned a series of events, including people-to-people exchanges, to commemorate the historic milestone in a befitting manner.

To mark the historic occasion, both the ministers authored some articles, highlighting how the two countries have solidified and deepened their “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” over the last seven decades despite vicissitudes of times and changes in the international system.