by Misbah Saba Malik
ISLAMABAD, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop adorned with life-sized images of the Pakistani and Chinese flags, when a Pakistani presenter introduced Pakistan-China friendship as "ironclad," a resounding chorus of cheers and applause followed, echoing the depth of the bilateral relations and friendship between the two countries.
The presenter and his audience gathered here on Tuesday evening to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China.
"Pakistan's diplomatic relations with China are a true asset. It fills me with pride that this enduring friendship is a legacy from our forefathers, cherished by every generation of Pakistanis," Muhammad Saqlain, a student of International Relations, at the event, told Xinhua.
People from all walks of life attended the event to celebrate the friendship and cherish the cooperation between the two countries.
Naina Ali, an entrepreneur associated with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recalled how she felt the strength of the people-to-people friendship during her multiple visits to China.
"People-to-people contacts are the outcome of strong diplomatic relations, and I have personally experienced that not only the diplomatic relations with China thrived over the years, but people-to-people contacts are also blooming," she added.
Talking about the 73rd anniversary of the diplomatic ties, the Pakistani spectators said that it not only highlights the historical ties between the two nations but also underscores the ongoing mutual support and cooperation that promises a prosperous future for Pakistan.
Speaking at the event, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, praised the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as an important platform for cooperation between the two countries.
CPEC, a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a corridor linking Pakistan's southwest Gwadar port with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, highlighting energy, transport, and industrial cooperation.
Both China and Pakistan are developing countries facing the historical tasks of economic development and improving people's livelihoods, Jiang said, adding that "in the context of an unstable international situation and a continuously declining global economy, China is willing to work hard to provide new opportunities for development with new achievements in Chinese-style modernization and benefit our friend Pakistan." ■