BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday wrote back to Pakistani students studying at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, urging them to promote people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Xi wrote to the Pakistani students who had earlier thanked him for the support and help they received from the university. The students had expressed their wish to contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative after completing their studies.
"China welcomes outstanding young people from around the world to study in China, and encourages them to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and their home countries," said Xi according to CGTN.
Saying that the Chinese government was concerned about the safety and wellbeing of its overseas students, Xi offered to help meet "students' needs in their daily lives, epidemic prevention and medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic".
The Chinese government treats foreigners and locals equally, and the focus is on saving lives, he wrote.
There are currently 52 Pakistani students studying at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing and 49 of them are pursuing PhD or post-graduate degrees.