CPC's development journey offers valuable lessons for Pakistan, ISSI seminar told

ISLAMABAD: China's remarkable transformation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) offers valuable lessons for developing countries, particularly Pakistan, as the two nations deepen cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0 and work towards building an even closer community with a shared future, speakers said at a seminar held in Islamabad on Thursday.

The seminar, titled "CPC 105 Years: Achievements, Experiences, and the China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future," was jointly organised by the China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and China Media Group (CMG) to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

The event brought together senior government officials, diplomats, scholars, academics, media professionals and students to reflect on China's remarkable development under the CPC's leadership and examine its significance for the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.

Welcoming the participants, Chairman of the ISSI Board of Governors Ambassador Khalid Mahmood described the CPC's 105-year journey as an outstanding example of visionary leadership, strategic planning, institutional resilience and sustained reform.

He said China's extraordinary achievements in economic development, poverty alleviation, technological innovation, industrial modernization and high-quality growth had transformed the country into one of the world's leading economic powers.

Ambassador Khalid observed that China's development experience offers important lessons for developing countries seeking rapid economic progress while maintaining social stability.

He noted that Pakistan's All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with China continues to expand beyond traditional political and strategic cooperation into emerging sectors such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence, green development, agricultural modernization and human resource development under the evolving framework of CPEC.

Speaking on behalf of China Media Group, Ms Wang Lei thanked ISSI for jointly organising the seminar, noting that the event coincided with both the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

She highlighted China's remarkable socio-economic transformation under the CPC's leadership and reaffirmed CMG's commitment to promoting objective understanding of China's development experience while strengthening media cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two friendly countries.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar described the CPC's journey as an extraordinary story of national rejuvenation, visionary leadership and people-centred governance.

She said China's modernization had demonstrated the importance of pursuing development in accordance with national realities while making sustained investments in education, innovation, science, technology and human capital.

Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to its strategic partnership with China, she stressed that the next phase of bilateral cooperation should increasingly focus on education, scientific research, skills development, innovation, youth empowerment and stronger collaboration among universities, think tanks and research institutions.

Delivering the keynote address, former ambassador to China Masood Khan said the Communist Party of China had played a pivotal role in transforming the country through sustained economic reforms, technological advancement and one of the world's most successful poverty alleviation programmes.

He described the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a transformative platform for international cooperation and reiterated Pakistan's strong support for CPEC as the flagship project of the initiative.

Highlighting the significance of CPEC 2.0, Ambassador Masood said the new phase would broaden cooperation into industrial development, agriculture, emerging technologies, vocational training and innovation while drawing upon China's governance experience in long-term planning and institutional capacity-building.

Former High Commissioner to Australia Ambassador Naela Chohan described China's rise as one of the most remarkable development stories of the modern era.

She said Pakistan-China relations are built on mutual trust, sovereign equality and enduring civilizational ties, adding that bilateral cooperation is expanding into emerging sectors including artificial intelligence, the digital economy, healthcare, education, tourism, innovation and youth exchanges.

She also emphasised the importance of strengthening academic collaboration, media partnerships and people-to-people contacts to further reinforce bilateral relations.

Head of the Department of International Relations at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Dr Abdul Wahid, identified long-term strategic planning, continuous reform and investment in human development as the key pillars of China's successful development model.

He observed that sustained investment in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and industrialisation, supported by strong grassroots participation, had significantly enhanced China's productivity and human capital.

Speaking as the guest of honour, Deputy Head of Mission at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan Shi Yuanqiang highlighted China's achievements under the CPC in economic development, modernization, education, poverty alleviation and national rejuvenation.

He reaffirmed China's commitment to advancing high-quality development under CPEC while implementing the Action Plan for an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future.

He also highlighted cooperation under China's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative as important frameworks for strengthening bilateral collaboration.

Assistant Professor at the Public Policy Institute, Dr Jibran Hussain Raza, examined China's development through the lens of institutional evolution and economic governance.

He argued that China's transformation was the result of decades of strategic planning, institution-building, industrial expansion and pragmatic reforms, adding that Pakistan should further strengthen its institutional and industrial capacity to maximise the opportunities offered by CPEC 2.0.

Earlier, Director of the China-Pakistan Study Centre at ISSI Dr Talat Shabbir said the Communist Party of China had transformed the country into one of the world's foremost economic and technological powers through visionary leadership, institutional resilience, continuous reform and people-centred governance.

The seminar concluded with an interactive discussion on China's modernization model, the governance philosophy of the Communist Party of China and future avenues for expanding Pakistan-China cooperation under the framework of the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.