H.E. Dr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan,

H.E. Mr. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman of Senate,

H.E. General Nadeem Raza, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Asalam o Aleekum!

On this special day, first of all, please allow me to read the congratulatory message sent by President Xi Jinping to President Dr. Arif Alvi for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan.

" Honorable Mr. President,

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, on behalf of the Government and people of China, and in my own name, I would like to extend warm congratulations and best wishes to Your Excellency, and through you to the Government and people of Pakistan.

China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners that stand firmly by each other on issues of core interests and major concerns. The mutual trust and friendship between the two countries have gone through the test of 70 -year of international changes and remain rock-solid, and have become the most valuable strategic asset of the two peoples. In recent years, with the joint efforts of both sides, the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has achieved remarkable results, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries and adding strong ? impetus to the regional prosperity. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan have shared weal and woe and sincerely helped each other, and the ironclad friendship between the two countries has been further sublimated .

I attach great importance to the development of China-Pakistan relations. I am ready to work with Your Excellency to deepen strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, promote the high-quality development of the CPEC, and work together to build a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the new era, for the benefit of the two countries and the two peoples.

May I wish Pakistan prosperity and her people happiness.

May the friendship between China and Pakistan last forever.

Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China "

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

The message from President Xi Jinping carries warmth and strength. And this morning,Prime Minister Imran Khan also spoke highly of China-Pakistan relations and expressed his respect for President Xi Jinping. Friendly words from both sides fully demonstrate the great importance attached by the two leaderships to the bilateral relations and point out the way forward! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to meet physically, but we are filled with the same joy and best wishes for our common cause. On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and high respect to the Honorable President, the parliaments, government, military of Pakistan and friends from all walks of life for your long-time contributions to this unique friendship!

As China's late Premier Zhou Enlai said, the friendly exchanges between the people of China and Pakistan could be traced back to the dawn of history. The Silk Road has brought us together for over 2,000 years. On 21 May, 1951, the newly founded People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan put aside ideological differences, broke through the "iron curtain" of the Cold War, and formally established diplomatic relations. Since then, the friendship between China and Pakistan has remained rock-solid, regardless how the regional and international landscapes have evolved. It has grown steadily under the care of our leaders, becoming the role model of state to state relations, with different social systems, histories and cultures.

In 2015, President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Pakistan, during which the bilateral relations was elevated to All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. The close contact between the leaders of our two countries is incomparable. We can clearly remember that in March 2020, at the critical time when China was fighting against COVID-19, H.E. Dr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan visited China to render his firm support, which is highly appreciated by 1.4 billion Chinese people. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has visited China three times since taking office, and held four meetings with President Xi Jinping. It is fair to say that China and Pakistan always make each other the priority in developing foreign relations.

Thanks to the strategic planning and guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the friendly and pragmatic cooperation between China and Pakistan has made fruitful achievements in recent years. As the pilot project of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has become an important platform for all-round cooperation between the two countries. The CPEC has expanded to key areas of Gwadar Port, energy, transportation infrastructure, agriculture, industry, science and technology, and social livelihood, covering almost all aspects of Pakistan's development. Meanwhile, the two countries have continuously deepened and expanded cooperation in fields of military, security, culture, education, and so on, which further enhanced the foundation of the bilateral relations.

The past seven decades has also been the journey of mutual assistance in addressing various challenges. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chinese and Pakistani governments, armies and peoples helped each other by every mean. We are proud that Pakistan is the first country to receive the vaccine aided by the Chinese government and military, and are thankful to the assistance provided by Pakistan in conducting phase three clinical trials of vaccines. This kind of cooperation sets an example of international cooperation in addressing the pandemic, and will continue until we win the battle.

As President Xi Jinping points out, China-Pakistan relations should become a model of good-neighborly friendship, a pillar to safeguard regional peace and stability, and a benchmark for "Belt and Road" international cooperation. It has been proved that China-Pakistan friendship and cooperation are not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, but also conducive to regional and global peace, stability and development. China and Pakistan are committed to building a more just, democratic, and reasonable multi-polar international order. The two countries hold the same position to maintain the authority of the multilateral system, safeguard the fairness of the international relations, maintain peace and strategic stability, promote the development of human civilization, and ensure that all countries enjoy equal development environment.

For China, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The CPC has evolved from a small party with around 50 members to the largest ruling party, with more than 91 million members. The CPC has led the Chinese people on a great path of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the progress of human civilization. We have scored a historic victory in the fight against extreme poverty and lifted 770 million people out of poverty. We have embarked on a new journey toward a modernized socialist country and realizing the second centenary goal. Pakistan is progressing under the vision of "Naya Pakistan". We are willing, together with Pakistani brothers, to deepen exchanges on governance, match with development strategies, and realize our own visions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the context of unseen changes in the world in a century, President Xi Jinping proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, to build a world of lasting peace, common security, shared prosperity, inclusiveness and greenness. This vision is China's answer to the challenges and problems facing the world. The recent outbreak of COVID-19, further shows President Xi's vision's importance and foresight. On the way to build a community of shared future for mankind, the significance of China-Pakistan relations is becoming more prominent. We are committed to working with Pakistan to effectively implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, carry forward the good traditions of China-Pakistan relations, deepen strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, and jointly work for a high quality development of the CPEC. We are confident that our joint efforts will inject new impetus into China-Pakistan friendship and make new demonstration to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad!

DATE:2021-05-21