Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong has vowed to accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
In a detailed statement on the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping's historic 2015 visit to Pakistan, Ambassador Jiang said that 2025 would be a crucial year for both nations - with China deepening reforms and Pakistan launching its "Uraan Pakistan" initiative - presenting an opportunity for deeper strategic alignment and South-South cooperation.
Regarding the multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor's (CPEC) milestones, Jiang said Gwadar has transformed from a fishing village into a regional hub, while "the Orange Line Metro Train runs through the thousand-year-old metropolis of Lahore".
He noted that the CPEC has brought $25.4 billion in direct investment, 236,000 jobs, 510 kilometers of highways, more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity, and 886 kilometers of core transmission to Pakistan.
On the security front, Jiang stressed that economic and security cooperation are "two wheels that must turn in unison," referring to recent agreements on global security coordination and Beijing's continued support for Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts.
He recalled that President Xi Jinping held talks and meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and reached important consensus, "setting the direction and injecting strong impetus for China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation under the new circumstances".
"This fully demonstrates that Pakistan consistently stands with China at the forefront when implementing the major initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping.
The ambassador further emphasised that China was willing to work with Pakistan to fully implement the consensus reached by the two countries' high-level leaders and transform it into solid actions and rich outcomes of the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
"We stand ready to deepen security cooperation with Pakistan, continue to firmly support Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts," he added.
Similarly, he noted that Beijing was also ready to jointly address non-traditional security challenges such as climate change and major natural disasters, foster a secure environment for the CPEC development and practical cooperation across sectors, and provide security assurance for the enduring growth of our bilateral relations.
He also pointed to Pakistan's new role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, stating that both countries must "stand on the right side of history to uphold true multilateralism."
He said "solid steps while staying ambitious" to achieve shared prosperity through high-quality CPEC development.
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