65 years of ties: Pakistan, China leaders exchange greetings

PM Nawaz, President Mamnoon, President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang send messages of goodwill.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has congratulated and conveyed his best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Pak-China diplomatic ties.

Over the past six and a half decades, relations between Pakistan and China have grown from strength to strength, evolving and expanding into an all-weather cooperative strategic partnership, he said.



“China is our iron brother, reliable friend and trustworthy neighbour. Our two countries share a friendship underpinned by common interests and close cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas,” a press release of the Foreign Office on Saturday quoted the premier as saying.

In his separate message to Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, PM Nawaz said that May 21st marked the day when the two countries took the first step towards the establishment of bilateral relations that had stood the tests of time, and grown with each passing year. He also referred to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which was further strengthening the existing bonds of friendship. On this occasion, he also wished the Chinese leadership good health, happiness and continued peace and progress for the people of China.

President Mamnoon Hussain, in his message to President Xi Jinping, said in the past 65 years, Pakistan had strengthened friendship, deepened mutual trust and expanded cooperation with China. “Our relationship has been elevated to a robust all-weather cooperative strategic partnership and has grown to encompass many areas of cooperation, including economy, trade, science and technology, people-to-people contacts, culture and education,” he was quoted as saying in a press statement issued by the Foreign Office.



President Xi Jinping, in his message, said that over the past 65 years, China-Pakistan relations had stood the tests of the changes of the international and domestic situations and made headway constantly. The construction of CPEC will lay a solid foundation for building China-Pakistan community of shared destiny, a press release of the Foreign Office on Saturday quoted the Chinese president as saying.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, in his separate message to PM Nawaz said, both China and Pakistan had always adhered to the five principles of peaceful coexistence, enjoyed political mutual trust, carried out mutually-beneficial economic cooperation as well as rendered each other with mutual understanding and support on issues related to core interest to each other.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2016.