Symposium on celebrating 10th anniversary of President Xi’s visit held

Islamabad:A high-level symposium titled 'Jointly Build the China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future' was held here on Monday, jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and the Chinese Embassy, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's landmark visit to Pakistan in 2015.

The event was attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch, along with prominent figures such as head of Pakistan-China Institute Mushahid Hussain Syed, former Ambassador to China Naghmana Hashmi, senior political leader Afrasiab Khattak, Abdullah Hameed Gul, Chairman of the Institute of Strategic Studies Khalid Mahmood, Director Dr. Talat Shabbir, Hassan Daud Butt, as well as scholars, serving and former diplomats, experts on Pakistan-China relations, and journalists.

Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong delivered a key-note address in which he highlighted President Xi's historic 28-hour visit to Pakistan in April 2015, which resulted in the signing of 51 significant cooperation agreements across multiple sectors.

The visit not only elevated bilateral relations to the level of an "all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" but also placed CPEC at the heart of future collaboration. He proudly recalled the enthusiasm and warmth President Xi received during his address to the Parliament on the occasion.

He noted the President had received over 50 rounds of applause-underscoring the depth of goodwill between the two nations. In his address, Ambassador Jiang also reviewed the achievements of the past decade, highlighting five key pillars of cooperation.

He noted the deepening of strategic mutual trust, demonstrated through over 100 high-level exchanges and unwavering support for each other's core national interests. He emphasised the development cooperation, particularly CPEC's contributions to alleviating Pakistan's energy crisis, operationalizing the Gwadar Port, and expanding trade and investment links between the two countries.

The Ambassador highlighted the flourishing people-to-people connections, citing the rise in the number of Pakistani students in China, the establishment of more sister city partnerships, and the success of cultural exchanges, including co-produced films and joint exhibitions.

He pointed to robust security cooperation, including joint military drills and coordinated responses to shared challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating floods, during which China provided $260 million in aid to Pakistan.

He praised the two countries' growing collaboration on global platforms such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, affirming their joint advocacy for multilateralism and the rights of the Global South. Ambassador Jiang also reflected on the important lessons learned over the past decade, stressing the value of strategic leadership, unwavering cooperation, win-win economic collaboration, and deep-rooted people-to-people ties.

He reaffirmed that China remains Pakistan's largest source of foreign direct investment and expressed confidence in both nations continuing to pursue shared development goals.

Looking to the future, the Ambassador laid out five strategic priorities for the next phase of cooperation. These include enhancing strategic trust, aligning the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Pakistan's "5Es" framework for development, strengthening security collaboration, boosting educational and cultural exchanges, and deepening coordination in multilateral forums to promote a more inclusive and equitable global order.

As China and Pakistan approach the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, Ambassador Jiang expressed strong optimism for the future. Ambassador Jiang concluded his remarks with a passionate tribute to the lasting bond between the two nations, calling for unity and cooperation in building a brighter shared future.