BEIJING: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday described Pakistan’s relationship with China as a bond that has endured across generations, saying it was rooted in history and carried forward by successive leaders of his family.
Speaking at Fudan University in Shanghai during a special session titled “Pak-China Friendship: Past, Present and Future”, Bilawal said the ties between the two nations dated back over two millennia.
“Over 2,000 years ago, our histories intertwined along the fabled Silk Road,” he said, according to a report published by Gwadar Pro. “The areas that now make up Pakistan served as a vital artery of the ancient Silk Road, connecting China with the Middle East, Africa and Europe. This was not just a trade route but a conduit of culture, laying the foundations of what we now celebrate as our iron brotherhood.”
Bilawal highlighted how his family had played a central role in deepening relations with Beijing. He recalled that his grandfather, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was “the last foreign dignitary to be received by President Mao” and helped lay the foundation of Pakistan’s diplomatic partnership with China.
His mother, the late prime minister Benazir Bhutto, “advocated passionately—both domestically and internationally—for the Pakistan-China relationship,” while his father, former president Asif Ali Zardari, was credited with advancing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), including the transfer of Gwadar Port and the landmark signing of CPEC agreements in 2013.
Referring to his own tenure as Pakistan’s foreign minister, Bilawal said he had worked closely with Chinese leaders, particularly then-foreign minister Wang Yi. “I believe, generation after generation, we have carried this relationship forward,” he told the audience.
Bilawal also underlined that Pakistan was among the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China. “We are particularly proud that while today everybody wants to be friends with China, we sought friendship with China even when no one else did,” he remarked.
Calling for greater involvement of young people in shaping the future of bilateral ties, Bilawal told students and faculty: “I am here to engage with you, to speak with you, and to encourage you to begin playing your role in taking this relationship to the next generation and the next level.”
