BEIJING – Few relationships in the history of international relations haveendured so long as that between Pakistan and China and even fewer have beendescribed as “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans”.

This description of the all-weather friendship is not just rhetoric; it isbased on shared principles and interests, and forms the foundation ofcooperation in diverse fields, according to an article published in ChinaDaily on Tuesday.Since the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015 and thelaunching of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, economic and culturalactivities between the two countries have increased manifold.

Although bilateral diplomatic ties were established in 1951, cultural andhistorical relations date back to almost 2,000 years.In the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Chinese monkXuanzang travelled westward to seek the Buddhist Sutra, and his book GreatTang Records on the Western Regions mentions the names of areas which arenow in Pakistan, and is a testament to his fond memory of the land and thepeople of those areas.

In modern times, the first official Pakistani delegation visited China onJan 4, 1950, just three months after the People’s Republic of China wasfounded. Since then our relationship has evolved into one of the mostenduring in modern history.Pakistan was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relationswith China, and it provided China with an air route leading to the rest ofthe world during one of the most difficult times for China.

Pakistan also supported China in regaining its legitimate seat at theUnited Nations, and it is proud of playing a vital role in facilitatingformer US secretary of state Henry Kissinger’s secret visit to China in1971, which laid the groundwork for a visit by then US president RichardNixon.Besides, Pakistan strongly supports the one-China policy and China’ssovereignty over the Tibet and Xinjiang autonomous regions, as well asother issues concerning China’s core interests.

China has always more than reciprocated Pakistan’s gestures and support.Beijing has supported Islamabad on a wide range of issues, such asPakistan’s recent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan is going to become the hubof regional trade and connectivity.

The CPEC, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, has opened anew era of cooperation, with Chinese investments pouring into Pakistan, andseveral mega projects being launched in the fields of power generation andtransmission. And basic infrastructure such as motorways, railways,airports, seaports, oil and gas pipelines, and optical fiber linkages arebeing upgraded and strengthened.

In fact, Pakistan has already begun reaping the dividends of the CPEC railand road infrastructure projects. The CPEC investment and its spinoffeffects have created thousands of jobs and added 10,000 MW to Pakistan’snational grid, ameliorating the chronic shortage of energy in the country.Moreover, bilateral trade has reached historic levels and the number ofPakistani students in China has increased to 24,000.

Relations between the two states are not just limited to political andeconomic spheres.Pakistan and China signed the Cultural Cooperation Agreement in 1965, whichhas evolved into the Executive Programme of Cultural Exchange, with bothcountries vowing to cooperate in the fields of arts and culture, educationand research, broadcasting, media, publications, sports and youth affairs.Pakistan-China relations are perhaps the best example of cooperationbetween two countries having different social systems, cultures, traditionsand ideologies.

The five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorialintegrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other’s internalaffairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence have madethe two sides what they are today.

Pakistan and China settled their borders in the early days of theirdiplomatic relations in 1963, which has greatly contributed to their long,enduring partnership, and to peace and stability in South Asia. And sincethe potential of economic and cultural cooperation is still huge, the twosides ought to increase people-to-people exchanges, promote tourism byeasing restrictions and turn the CPEC into a “China-Pakistan CulturalCorridor”, in order to further strengthen their friendship.

And since their friendship will certainly strengthen, China and Pakistanmust work more closely to build a brighter and prosperous future. – APP