Pakistan-China relationship builds on mutual trust, cooperation and shared goals: minister

ISLAMABAD, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The relationship between Pakistan and China has continued to thrive on the foundations of mutual trust, in-depth cooperation and shared goals, Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said.

In today's world, where turmoil and change are intertwined and the century-long transformation is accelerating, Pakistan-China friendship has remained strong and steady over the past 75 years, Iqbal said while addressing a cultural event held recently to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He said that Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, setting a powerful example of international cooperation, adding that the two sides have supported each other in various fields over the years and are currently working closely to write a new chapter in South-South cooperation.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, has improved local infrastructure and optimized energy supply, bringing socio-economic development in Pakistan, the minister said.

"From energy security to digital connectivity, from Gwadar port to industrial park, CPEC quality construction is a vivid practice of Pakistan and China continuing to deepen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation," he added.

On the occasion, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan-China friendship is unshakeable and time-tested, a valuable asset passed down from generation to generation by the two peoples.

Shi Yuanqiang, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Pakistan have supported each other, firmly safeguarded each other's core interests, and achieved fruitful cooperation in various fields.

CPEC has injected strong impetus into Pakistan's economic and social development, Shi said, adding that China is willing to work with Pakistan to forge an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, better benefit the two peoples and promote regional stability and prosperity.

At the event, Chinese and Pakistani youth also performed poetry reading, musical and other cultural activities.