Pakistan's civil awards conferred on Chinese dignitaries in Beijing

BEIJING: The civil awards were conferred on the Chinese dignitaries, on behalf of the President of Pakistan, in a special investiture ceremony held at the Embassy of Pakistan, Beijing here on Friday.

In recognition of their services towards Pakistan, four Chinese dignitaries were honoured with Pakistan's civil awards.

Hilal-e-Pakistan was conferred upon Mr Xu Shaoshi, who was the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China from 2013 to 2017.

During his leadership of the NDRC, the China-Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of china’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), proceeded rapidly from concept to concrete reality. In these formative first years of CPEC, notwithstanding the unprecedented size, scale and development pace of the CPEC portfolio, Pakistan and China were able through unremitting efforts to deliver tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.

Hilal-i-Quaid-e-Azam was conferred upon Mr. Wang Xiaotao. He currently heads the newly established International Development Cooperation Agency (IDCA) of the People's Republic of China.

He has also been a great friend of Pakistan and a strong supporter of Pakistan-China friendship. Mr. Wang co-chaired four meetings of the CPEC Joint Cooperation committee (JCC). Under his guidance and direction, bilateral cooperation on CPEC transcended the planning and implementation stages, delivered direct benefits to the peoples of Pakistan and China. One especially noteworthy accomplishment of the JCC mechanism under Mr. Wang’s co-chairmanship came in Islamabad in November, 2017, when various aspects of CPEC cooperation were enshrined in the “Long-Term Plan for CPEC”, providing a detailed blueprint for the evolution of CPEC through 2030.

Sitara-i-Pakistan was conferred upon Ms. Lin Yi who is the Vice President of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) since 2015 and is in-charge of the Asian and African Affairs.

Under her guidance, the CPAFFC played a leading role in organizing a series of high-profile celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations in 2016. Ms. Lin and her team have proactively continued to develop plans and seek opportunities to promote relations, especially among the youths of both countries, which is indispensible for ensuring the perpetuity of this historic relationship across generations.

Tamgha-i-Pakistan was conferred upon Mr. Li Xuedong. Hewas formerly Director General of the International Cooperation Department of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China.

Since early 2018, he has served as the Chairman of the Development and Reform Commission of China’s northeastern Liaoning province.

During his tenure at the International Cooperation Department of the NDRC, Mr. Li Xuedong demonstrated sincere goodwill and friendship towards Pakistan. His unremitting commitment to promoting the China Pakistan Economic corridor (CPEC), as the flagship project of china’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), contributed directly to rapid progress in all core areas, especially in Gwadar and industrial cooperation. His extraordinary efforts and forthcoming approach have contributed to creating a firm foundation for further development of CPEC and Pakistan-China economic cooperation in the years to come.

The event was attended by the officers of Pakistan Embassy and Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with media representatives.