CPAFFC Vice-President Lin Yi attends video seminar celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan

Ai Lin

O n July 14， the All Pakistan-China Friendship Association hosted a video seminar commemorating 70 years of China-Pakistan relations and recalling the past and building a community with a shared future for the new era.

Lin Yi， vice-president of the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries， was invited to attend and deliver a speech.

Zhang Heqing， cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in Pakistan； Zhang Qian， vice-president of the Beijing Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries； Muhammad Ikhlaque Usmani， president of the APCFA； Pervez Shah， former president of the APCFA； Naghmana Hashmi， former Pakistan ambassador to China； Bilal Akram Shah， counselor of the embassy of Pakistan in China； and Fazalur-Rahman， director of the Pakistan Institute of China Studies， University of Sargodha， Pakistan， spoke at the seminar. Nearly 100 people， including friends from business associations， media and schools in Islamabad， Gwadar and other places in Pakistan， as well as representatives of friendship organizations from the Maldives， Nepal， Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries， attended the seminar online.

In her speech， Vice-President Lin Yi said the China-Pakistan friendship has gone through a long course in history. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 70 years ago， no matter how the international situation changed， the two countries have always stood firmly together.

During President Xi Jinpings historic visit to Pakistan in 2015， the leaders of the two countries jointly upgraded the China-Pakistan relationship to an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and decided to build a closer community with a shared future in the new era. The visit opened a new chapter in the development of bilateral relations. At a time of changes unseen in the past 100 years， and amid the most serious pandemic in a century， China and Pakistan are working together to overcome difficulties. In the process， the ironclad friendship between the two countries has become even stronger.

Lin said the CPAFFC attaches great importance to exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan. This year， the association successfully held a reception to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. It has actively mobilized the private sector and local governments to gather supplies valued at nearly 3 million yuan （$483，871） to help Pakistan fight the pandemic. It also organized representatives of Pakistani students studying in China to visit Shanghai， Jiaxing and other places and hold dialogues with the local Chinese youth.

At the end of this year， we will jointly hold the Second Forum on Cooperation between China and Pakistan Friendship Provinces and Cities with the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination of Pakistan and the Pakistan embassy in China， to promote high-quality exchanges.

President Usmani said the Pakistan-China friendship is higher than mountains， deeper than oceans and sweeter than honey. The two countries have always stood side-by-side through thick and thin as trusted and reliable friends. Bilateral relations have set a model for state-to-state relations. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China and the centennial of the Communist Party of China. The APCFA will take the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries as guidance and play the role of bridge and bond in deepening the understanding and recognition of China among the Pakistani people， especially the youth， and pushing the development of Pakistan-China relations into a new era.

At the video seminar， participants recalled with deep feelings the steady， deep development of bilateral relations over the past 70 years. They agreed that the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations reflected the political determination and broad vision of the older generation of statesmen from both countries in sizing up the situation. China and Pakistan have always been there to support each other when they need it most， even under pressure. Pakistan expresses solidarity and support for Chinas principles and positions at all costs.

China has been offering selfless assistance to Pakistan for decades. These facts fully demonstrate the unbreakable and unique ironclad friendship between the two countries. Standing at a new historical starting point， the participants said that to further promote mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples， the two sides should deepen mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation， jointly maintain regional peace and stability， cultivate the youth of both countries to become inheritors and successors of the “ironclad” friendship， and work together to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.