Dr. Syed Mehboob
Senior Business and Political Analyst
http//: www.thenewslark.com
Email:drmehboob.thenewslark@gmail.com
The history of Pakistan China friendship is a story of 75 glorious years of cooperation, understanding and partnership. This friendship is deep-rooted, time-tested, sweeter than honey, greater than Himalaya and deeper than oceans. This friendship is based on mutual understanding, respect, non interference into internal affairs of each other, in-depth-sincerity, the fragrance of this friendship can be felt in the hearts and minds of people. This friendship is transferred into our generation in stories, intellectual books, sung by our singers, it is found in curriculum .
I bow down my head with gratitude before Almighty Allah that I am part of historical efforts to promote Pakistan China friendship. As on 21st May 2026 I have produced 128 research based articles on China, containing 551 pages and 155,721 words. In the year 2023 Mr. Jawed Malik Chief Editor the News Lark visited China and in September 2924, I have the honour to visit China. We both have sweet memories about this visit.
Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Silk Road intertwined the destinies of the people of two countries. Pakistan was the first Islamic country to recognize the People’s Republic of China and formally established diplomatic relations with China in 1951. Over the past 75 years, the relationship between two countries has forged ahead under the strategic guidance of leaders from both sides. Through the joint efforts of the guidance of leaders from both countries, the comprehensive cooperation has flourished and solidified into an ironclad friendship. Friendship between both nations is based on trust and mutual support, they have been devoted friends through both good and hard times. Despite changes in the domestic and international environment, they have always extended sympathy to and supported each other on issues crucial to their core interests. We remember the staunch support of Pakistan to China at the critical times when New China endeavored to break the blockade, resume its lawful seat at the United Nations and explore ways to carry out reform and opening up, Pakistan always came forward and gave its valuable assistance to China. Similarly, whenever Pakistan is in need, China has come forward to Pakistan’s help and firmly supported its efforts to uphold sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
On October 1956, Pakistani Prime Minister Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy made an official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese government. In December, 1956, Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai visited Pakistan, marking the first visit by Chinese Premier since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The successful reciprocal visits by the two Prime Ministers within two months greatly promoted the development of bilateral relations and the friendship between two nations. In February, 1964, Premier Zhou Enlai visited Pakistan for the second time and personally planted a sapling at Shakarpurian Hills in Islamabad, symbolizing China Pakistan friendship. The Karakorum Highway, the world’s most beautiful cross-border highway built with China’s support and open to the public transportation in 1978, connects China and Pakistan. It is a lasting testimony of the friendship between the two nations. Approximately seven hundred individuals from both sides sacrificed their lives for this endeavor.
In 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic visit to Pakistan, during which the leaders of both countries unanimously agreed to elevate China Pakistan relations to an all weather strategic cooperative partnership, which epitomizes the all-weather friendship and all-round cooperation between China and Pakistan. The China Pakistan relationship has not only become a valuable strategic asset for both countries but also serves as a model of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between nations with different social systems and cultural backgrounds. Currently, China-Pakistan relations are opening at a high level and are faced with new opportunities for development, exhibiting vibrant vitality and vigor, primarily manifested in the following aspects: Firstly, there is closer high-level exchanges. After the general election in Pakistan were concluded, President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji of the National People Congress sent congratulatory messages to Pakistani leaders to extend their sincere congratulations and best wishes. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed his anticipation for visiting China again during an interview with Xinhua News Agency. Recently, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar visited China and hold the fifth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and Vice Premier, He Lifeng, made a special trip to Pakistan to attend the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the launch of the CPEC. During the visit, He Lifeng met with Pakistani leaders to exchange in-depth views on deepening traditional friendship and expanding pragmatic cooperation. Now it is expected more high-level exchanges between the two countries. Secondly, the fruitful results of mutually beneficial cooperation. Over the past 12 years, CPEC has brought a total of US $25.4 billion in direct investment, 236,000 jobs, 510km of highways, more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity and 886km of core transmission network. The construction of Gwadar Port is changing with each passing day. Lahore Orange Line introduces an era of metro train service for Pakistan. Power stations invested by Chinese enterprises have lit up thousands of lights. Ceramic tiles produced with Chinese investment and expertise have entered thousands of households. Pakistani seafood, sesame, mango, citrus and nuts are increasingly entering the Chinese market. The aforementioned pragmatic cooperation has strongly promoted Pakistan’s economic and social development, bringing tangible benefits to the local people. Now Pakistan and China are working together to promote the high-quality development of CPEC in the Second phase, which focuses on cooperation in fields of agriculture, industry, mining, science and technology and people to people exchanges. The high-quality development of CEPC will benefit Pakistan’s economic growth, improve the livelihood of Pakistan’s people, promote green development, cultivate more high-tech industries.
Thirdly, diverse exchanges in humanities, science and technology. In recent years, cultural and people to people exchanges between China and Pakistan have continued to expand. Various groups, including think tank scholars, media personnel, and religious representatives, have been visiting each other, while the enthusiasm for student exchanges and studying abroad has been on the rise, along with the increasing demand for learning Chinese language. Last year was designated as the ”China-Pakistan Year of Tourism”, during which art exhibitions featuring Gandhara Art Exhibition were held successively in Beijing, Lanzhou, and Shenzhen, sparking a wave of exhibition enthusiasm. Not long ago, Pakistan’s first lunar probe, ICUBE-Q, was successfully launched alongside China’s Chang’e 6 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, further expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of space exploration. This achievement has received widespread attention and warm welcome from various sectors of Pakistani society. Fourthly, heartwarming mutual assistance and solidarity. After the Wenchuan earthquake in China in 2008 and at the onset of pandemic in 2020, Pakistan extended its full support to China by urgently dispatching tents and masks. Upon the production of COVID-19 vaccines in China, the country promptly provided assistance to Pakistan. In 2022, when Pakistan was hit by floods, China spared no effort in providing aid. During evacuation operations in Yemen and South Sudan, Chinese warships evacuated hundreds of Pakistani citizens, while Pakistani warships also assisted in the evacuation of numerous Chinese students. Chinese President Xi Jinping once said during his visit to Pakistan: “having gone through weal and woe together, we couldn’t feel more gratified to have each other as great neighbor and friend. ( To be continued).
