Advance Building of China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future under Guidance of President Xi Jinping

—— Celebrating 10^th Anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s Historic Visit to Pakistan

By Jiang Zaidong

Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision. In April of 2015 when spring was in the air, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Pakistan. The two countries established the world’s first all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, formulated the layout of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and set direction for the leapfrog development of China-Pakistan relations in the new era. Looking back on the past extraordinary decade, the CPEC has flourished like a towering tree, the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has shone brightly, and the two countries have jointly written a magnificent epic of iron brothers developing with common interests and shared future.

Over the past decade, we have supported and helped each other, promoting and upgrading China-Pakistan relations with high-level mutual trust. As President Xi Jinping said, friendship between China and Pakistan is based on trust and mutual support, and we have been devoted friends through both good and hard times. Our friendship is a pacesetter for amicable relations between countries. From China’s assistance in evacuating 176 Pakistani nationals from a third country in 2015 to the safe return of over 200 Pakistani citizens from a third country in 2023, from the joint fight against COVID-19 to China’s post-flood reconstruction assistance to Pakistan after the 2022 flood, we repaid kindness with greater generosity, setting a good example of international relations in the new era.

Over the past decade, leaders of the two countries have maintained frequent exchanges. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited China in June last year, Premier Li Qiang visited Pakistan in October of the same year, and President Asif Ali Zardari visited China in February this year. The political mutual trust between China and Pakistan has been continuously strengthened. 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. We are 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.

Over the past decade, we have upheld fairness and justice while fostering shared prosperity, and achieved common development through high-level practical cooperation. President Xi Jinping emphasized that China is committed to a friendly policy toward all Pakistani people, an instructed that the planning and layout of the CPEC should cover all parts of Pakistan so that the benefit can all Pakistani people. As the pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the CPEC has progressed from a sketch to a fine drawing filled with details over the decade. Gwadar has transformed from a fishing village into a regional hub. Electricity from Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant lit up countless households.

Orange Line Metro Train runs through the thousand-year-old metropolis of Lahore. The Khunjerab Pass is open all year round. The CPEC has brought a total of US$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. China-Pakistan trade has exceeded 23 billion USD. As 2025 marks the crucial year for China’s comprehensive deepening of reforms and Pakistan’s inaugural year for “Uraan Pakistan” plan, we are willing to further strengthen strategic alignment with Pakistan, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, provide new development opportunities for Pakistan with new achievements in Chinese modernization, and create a new model of South-South cooperation through extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Over the past decade, we have stood together through thick and thin, and safeguarded the steady development of our bilateral relations with high-level security cooperation. As President Xi Jinping emphasized, security is the prerequisite for development, and development the guarantee for security. Security cooperation and economic cooperation complement each other like two wheels that must turn in unison. These important observations have charted the course for our coordinated efforts in security and economic collaboration. With the world entering a period of turbulence and transformation, China-Pakistan cooperation faces growing risks and challenges that demand even more robust and reliable security safeguards.

During President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to China, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Promoting Cooperation on the Global Security Initiative, providing critical guidance for enhancing our joint response to major global and regional security challenges. This fully demonstrates that Pakistan consistently stands with China at the forefront when implementing the major initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping. We stand ready to deepen security cooperation with Pakistan, continue to firmly support Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts, 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.

Over the past decade, we have walked hand in hand, and demonstrated our historical responsibility with high-level international coordination. President Xi Jinping stressed that China-Pakistan relations have gone well beyond the bilateral context, and in a world of profound uncertainty, both countries must stand on the right side of history to uphold true multilateralism, safeguard international equity and justice, and protect the common interests of developing countries. This guidance holds particular relevance today. China and Pakistan have maintained strategic communication on international and regional situation, closely coordinated on major global and regional issues, and acted as forces of stability in a world of change and chaos.

As fellow developing countries and key members of the Global South, with Pakistan assuming its role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council this year, our two countries are better positioned than ever for high-level international collaboration. We are ready to work closely with Pakistan to adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, resolutely oppose unilateralism and hegemonism, defend the common interests of developing countries, and voice our unity in defending global peace and fairness and justice.

Over the past decade, our hearts have linked as one, and our traditional friendship has been upheld and elevated through high-level people-to-people exchanges. President Xi Jinping noted that China and Pakistan should translate our strong political ties into momentum for cultural engagement, setting an example of mutual learning and friendly cooperation between civilizations.

During the past ten years, Pakistan has ranked among the top three countries in terms of total students studying in China and recipients of Chinese scholarships. Many Chinese universities have established Urdu language programs, and the two sides have formed a 130-member CPEC Consortium of Universities. Today, learning Chinese, enjoying Chinese cuisine, and celebrating the Spring Festival are becoming popular trends in Pakistan. Outstanding Chinese TV series and films are household names in Pakistan.

Our first co-produced movie Batie Girl was warmly received, and the Gandhara Art Exhibition drew millions of visitors in China. Recently, the China Express News Bulletin was successfully aired during prime time on Pakistan’s national television PTV, and our jointly organized “Esthetic Bridge” art exhibition won widespread acclaim. We are ready to work with Pakistan to implement President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative, expand language training, youth exchanges, sister-city partnerships, and media and think tank cooperation, so as to promote mutual brilliance between Chinese and Islamic civilizations, allowing our iron-clad friendship to take deep root in the hearts of our two peoples.

A decade of cultivation has yielded fruitful results and kindled greater expectations. At the recent CPC Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to focus on building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries, striving to break new ground in neighborhood work. The Conference also proposed to use high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform to jointly create a brighter future with neighboring countries.

It will bring fresh tailwinds to China-Pakistan friendship. We will thoroughly implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speech and the arrangements made at the conference, always view and promote China-Pakistan relations from a strategic perspective. We need to take solid steps while staying ambitious, so as to continue writing the story of joint effort and shared prosperity through high-quality CPEC development and vibrant practical cooperation. By further deepening and solidifying our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, we will accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Long live China-Pakistan friendship!

The author is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.