ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Think Tank Dialogue 2025 – Modernisation through Partnership: China and Pakistan in Global Governance was held in Islamabad on Tuesday, reaffirming the two nations’ commitment to joint progress, stability, and inclusive development under evolving global dynamics.
The event was co-organised by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) and the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS) Pakistan, bringing together senior diplomats, scholars, and policy experts from both countries.
Prominent speakers included Gao Anming, Editor-in-Chief of the China International Communications Group (CICG); Shi Yuanqiang, Minister at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan; and Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former ambassador to China.
Gao Anming highlighted the importance of think tanks and media in strengthening narratives of cooperation and partnership. “China and Pakistan should continue telling the world the story of our shared journey toward modernisation and global governance,” he said. Gao underscored that mutual understanding and intellectual collaboration were key to shaping a more balanced global discourse.
Shi Yuanqiang, representing the Chinese Embassy, emphasised that under the strategic guidance of the leadership of both countries, China-Pakistan relations had achieved new heights. “Bilateral political trust continues to deepen, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results,” he said. Shi added that these outcomes had injected strong momentum into building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
He stressed the importance of implementing the four major global initiatives introduced by President Xi Jinping — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative — to foster regional peace, sustainable progress, and equitable global participation.
Masood Khan, in his address, described China’s modernisation as inclusive and regionally integrated. “China’s modernisation is not self-contained; it promotes regional cooperation and allows neighbouring countries to share in the fruits of development through initiatives such as the Belt and Road,” he noted. He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) remained a cornerstone of Pakistan’s path toward economic transformation and connectivity.
Khan added that President Xi’s global governance vision represented “the collective voice of the Global South,” rooted in multilateralism and inclusivity. He emphasised that both China and Pakistan had important roles to play in upholding global peace, fostering economic development, and promoting equitable governance models.
During the dialogue, the ACCWS presented findings from its joint survey with IPDS, titled Chinese Modernisation in the Eyes of the People of SCO Countries. The survey found that 98.2% of respondents viewed China as a dynamic global economic power and expressed strong approval of cooperative projects between China and their respective nations. Over 80% of respondents said they understood the concept of “Chinese Modernisation” and believed it could create new opportunities for regional growth.
Similarly, more than 80% of participants expressed confidence in the “Shanghai Spirit” — the guiding philosophy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — and believed it had advanced economic and governance reforms in their countries. The survey also revealed that 97.56% of respondents supported the concept of the “China-Central Asia Community of Shared Future.”
Speakers at the dialogue agreed that the China-Pakistan relationship, built on trust and shared aspirations, continues to serve as a model for regional partnership. They emphasised the need to enhance academic exchanges, cultural cooperation, and media collaboration to deepen people-to-people ties and strengthen mutual understanding.
The dialogue concluded with a shared call for greater synergy between Chinese and Pakistani institutions to address emerging global challenges — from climate change and digital transformation to geopolitical instability — through joint policy innovation and cooperation.
Participants reaffirmed that the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership remains vital for regional peace, stability, and development. The event underscored that as the world undergoes rapid transformation, both nations are determined to modernise together while contributing to a fairer and more stable international order.
