There is no such thing
as a great talent without great will-power.
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Friends for all seasons
Yan Lijin
With certain political blocs trying to undermine China’s sovereignty and
politicise the Olympic Games the country hosts this summer, the
supportive stance of Pakistan has once again underlined how deep-rooted
the brotherly ties are between the two nations on the government and
people to people level. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman has termed
the Tibet incident an internal matter and that the region was an
inalienable part of China. He has also opposed any attempts to
politicise the Summer Games, which shows Pakistan’s firm commitment to
supporting the Chinese government and its people. The Olympic fever in
China is picking up and the entire nation is putting in its best efforts
to make the global event an unprecedented success. In this light, the
trust and eagerness shown by the Pakistani government to help in making
what is surely going to be the greatest show on earth will definitely go
a long way in further strengthening the ties.
The right to stage the Olympiad has been secured by China after an
extended struggle as the country was beaten by the narrowest of margins
by the Australian city of Sydney in 2000. Now as the show draws ever
closer, the Chinese people are putting in their heart and soul in order
to prove themselves as able hosts and to ensure that the Games are the
best ever. In such a cheerful environment, negative media propaganda
aimed at dampening the spirits of a nation ready to roll out a red
carpet for the world appears nothing more than a futile effort. With the
commitment of its people and support of trusted friends like Pakistan,
China is set to emerge with flying colours.
Pakistan understands well what China is going through for it too has
been a victim of negative propaganda in the media. This has led to
people around the world believing that the country is a dangerous place.
The position on ground is much different with all the positives of this
culturally rich and hospitable country being completely ignored by the
media. The trend of undermining the integrity and prosperity of nations
through such tools for certain political motives is no more a secret.
Even a man on the street is today politically mature and aware of all
such nefarious designs.
But now as the Beijing Torch Relay is set to arrive in Islamabad
shortly, the encouraging response of the Pakistani people is indeed
heartening. The torch is due to arrive in the country from Muscat.
Despite sports teams staying away from Pakistan on the pretext of
security, the organizers of Beijing Olympics have chosen Islamabad as
one of the venues for the torch relay to prove that China and Pakistan
are friends for all seasons.
It also has to be remembered what role Pakistan played in helping China
return to the Olympic fold after being unjustly excluded from the
Olympic community. Pakistan sent a high-powered delegation to lobby for
China to all those countries with which Pakistan had good relations. The
team succeeded in mustering solid support for the just Chinese cause.
Such gestures have helped in strengthening the ties between both
countries and this friendship looks set to grow even stronger if more
and more cultural exchanges and people-to-people contact is allowed.
Although quite a bit of activity is under way with youth exchange
programs and cultural interactions, a lot more can still be done. Both
China and Pakistan have a rich historical culture and the cultural
exchanges between the two countries date back to over 1000 years.
The splendid and colourful culture is the common cultural heritage of
mankind. It should be shared not only by the two peoples but needs to be
taken to a larger canvas and be shared with the world. Providing people
a chance to get to know each other and learn from each other’s
experiences is of great importance. The avenues are unlimited but there
is a need to explore them while looking for ways how best they would
suit both countries.
—The writer is the president of a multi-national Chinese company.
