Written by: Staff Report
Posted on: May 28, 2019 | 
| 中文
(L-R) Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director Pakistan-China Institute; H.E. Wang Qishan, Vice President of China; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Pakistan-China Institute and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; Sadiq Sanjrani, Chairman Senate and H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan
Three months after it launched the initiative, Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) had the honour of hosting Vice President of China, H.E. Mr Wang Qishan for a fruitful second event under the banner of ‘Friends of Silk Road’ at the Serena Hotel, Islamabad on Sunday, 26th May, 2019.
Friends of Silk Road is a people’s platform of Pakistan, which brings together stakeholders from different segments of society, including parliamentarians, business leaders, civil society, media, cultural sector and local communities with a focus on women and youth, with the aim of enhancing the understanding of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While H.E. Mr Wang Qishan was attending as chief guest, other speakers included Chairman PCI and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chairman Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani.
Executive Director PCI, Mustafa Hyder Sayed began the proceedings by directing attention towards the diverse and distinguished audience, which included people from all corners of Pakistan; across the political, business and media spectrum as well as representatives of the arts and culture, civil society, universities, women and youth organizations. H.E. Yao Jing, Ambassador of China to Pakistan was present among other esteemed guests, including prominent cultural representatives such as the artist Jimmy Engineer, Saadaan Peerzada, CEO of Rafi-Peer Arts & Theatre Group, and Founder of Ajoka Theatre, Shahid Mehmood Nadeem. The gathering was a testament to the strong people to people bond of Pakistan and China.
In his opening remarks, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed welcomed and introduced H.E. Wang Qishan, who is known for his expertise in the areas of economy, banking, history, governance and accountability. He went on to highlight the implications of three recently held Chinese conferences including the Joint Consultation Mechanism (JCM) on CPEC hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China in March, the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held in April and the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC)held last week. The CDAC, which primarily focused on cultural connectivity, was also attended by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, as representative of Pakistan. While talking about the conference, the Senator explained that in his remarks President Xi had rejected the notion of clash of civilizations, emphasizing that “the best bridge among civilisations is people, and they are our key for mutual learning.” In this context, Pakistan-China Institute through ‘Friends of Silk Road’ brought together a “mini-Pakistan” to extend their full support to CPEC. While congratulating H.E. Wang Qishan on the 70th Anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China, Senator Mushahid elucidated the three key ingredients of Chinese success; their economic model, their foreign policy, and their focus on cultural connectivity. “Asia will move forward with connectivity and cooperation, not confrontation or containment,” he said.
In his speech, Shah Mehmood Qureshi appreciated H.E. Wang Qishan’s dedicated endeavours to strengthen Pak-China friendship. He affirmed that Pak-China friendship is rooted in, “shared values, experiences, objectives and aspirations for peace, harmony and shared prosperity.” With CPEC entering a new phase of socio-economic cooperation, he said that local communities are the main beneficiaries, and that the government, “will continue to be invested in the social uplift of our people, with China as a supporter.” He reminded attendees that Pakistan and China are celebrating 2019 as the year of sister city relations, to further people to people interactions.
While addressing the audience, Chairman Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani acknowledged the importance of ‘Friends of Silk Road,’ since “Pakistan is the first among BRI countries to launch this forum to create awareness about the benefits and opportunities of CPEC and BRI.” He went on to iterate that CPEC itself symbolizes a common vision, of inclusive, connected and integrated Asia, and expressed Pakistan’s agreement with President Xi’s proposal at the CDAC, “to consolidate the cultural foundations for a shared future.” Alongside economic ties, he recognized the significance of cultural connectivity for the common goal of a peaceful Asia.
In the manner of a true historian, H.E. Wang Qishan began by tracing the development of friendly Pak-China relations for the past 2000 years. “Eminent monks such as Tu Cheng and Kumarajiva of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Faxian of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty, through their pilgrimages across the region and translations of Buddhist scriptures, left behind many widely told stories of China-Pakistan friendly exchanges.” He went onto say that ‘Friends of Silk Road’ is a continuation of these exchanges. While discussing CPEC in context of the international situation, he emphasized China’s commitment to “open, green and clean cooperation that follows a high standard, people-centered and sustainable approach.” Vice President also appreciated the role of Pakistan-China Institute in organising this unique event. He concluded by invoking the Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s quote, “We are not afraid of the deep sea or the fire, because we believe in the sun and the future,” as a driving force for closer Pakistan-China cooperation.
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