NA speaker inaugurates China-Pakistan Friendly Exchanges Year 2015 in China

ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Year of Friendly Exchanges was launched in Beijing on Wednesday at a grand reception that marked its official commencement — the first one of a series of activities which the two friendly countries plan to celebrate jointly throughout the year.
The occasion was graced by the Vice President of China, Li Yaunchao, from Chinese side while the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq led a delegation of parliamentarians from Pakistan especially to attend the inauguration of the celebrations of the friendly exchanges year, said a message received here.
On this occasion, Ambassador Masood Khalid in his welcoming remarks said that friendship was etched in the hearts and minds of the two peoples, and China and Pakistan being “iron-brothers” have their cooperative strategic partnership based on mutual trust that had withstood the tests of times.
He said bilateral exchanges, trade volume, cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts were at an all time high, adding that the year 2015 had made a promising start with increased interaction at all levels and a lot more to follow.
Ambassador Masood Khalid expressed his gratitude particularly to the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China Li Yuanchao and the Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for their gracious presence and also to the Chinese People’s Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) for their support in organizing the event.
CPAFFC Vice President Feng Zuoku said that China and Pakistan were good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Over the past 64 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Pakistan had developed a time-tested friendship.
As time went by, bilateral relations had become even closer, and political foundation of friendship became more solid. “We treat each other with sincerity, support each other and cooperate for mutual benefit, which make our bilateral friendship resonate in the hearts of the peoples,” he added.
In recent years CPAFFC had twice sent Chinese team of eye specialists to Pakistan for China-Pakistan Bringing Light Tour programme in Islamabad and Multan. To promote bilateral relations, CPAFFC re-organized the China.