‘Social sector to form stage two of CPEC cooperation’

Chinese ambassador says Belt and Road Initiative to strengthen people-to-people contact

ISLAMABAD: Health, education, poverty alleviation and human resource development will be the main focus of the next stage of CPEC cooperation under social sector said Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Saturday.

"The next stage of CPEC will see greater cultural cooperation and enhanced people-to-people links," he said at the inauguration of three-day first Chinese Traditional Culture and Creative Exhibition.

The Chinese Culture IP Exhibition opened at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Saturday.

Ambassador Jing said that this event was part of belt and road initiative between China and Pakistan.

"Both Pakistan and China have long history of friendship and interactions" he said adding he was pleased to inaugurate first China culture and creative exhibition in Islamabad.

He said China valued the friendship with Pakistan and thanks for hospitality. CPEC is part of multi-dimensional cooperation between the two time-tested friends.

He said high level exchanges and visits of Pakistan and China leaderships gave us kind of direction and momentum for more cooperation. He said Pakistan and China would cooperate for the betterment not only for our two nations but to the communities and all other nations of this region as well as for this world.

He thanked the ministry of National History and Literary Heritage and PNCA for cooperating in organizing the exhibition.

Ambassador Yao Jing, Chinese Embassy Cultural Counsellor Zhang Heqing, PNCA Director General Jamal Shah attended the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition.

National History and Literary Heritage Secretary Engr Aamir Hasan said Pakistan always considered China closest friend and ally and China supported us on many occasion.

"We had a first cultural protocol between the two friendly countries in 1965 and since then we have taken many cultural initiatives," he said.

He said an executive four-year cultural programme was initiated in 2018 and under that cultural programme numbers of initiatives have took place.

PNCA Director General Jamal Shah said culture was the best possible communication. Congratulating Chinese Embassy for organising the oriental charm exhibition he said: “this interaction will become a very enabling platform for us.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2019.