Naveed Aman Khan
THREE years back I was introduced as one of the leading writers to HE Yao Jing in PNCA, Islamabad by Jamal Shah the then DG PNCA. To me personally he throughout his tenure, has been very cordial and friendly. I am personally witness that with the consistent collaboration of Jamal Shah he worked hard in the promotion of rich Chinese culture in Pakistan. He struggled his level best to bring great nations of China and Pakistan culturally close to each other. Equally very popular in diplomatic, public and government circles the out going Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan HE Yao Jing as a friend of Pakistani nation has been household name during last three years. He has recently been transferred back to headquarters in Beijing for next posting two months before the completion of his three-year tenure. China has designated Nong Rong as new Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently a Minister in a Provincial Government.
Nong Rong is a political appointee having expertise in trade and commerce. Unlike the outgoing Ambassador, Nong Rong has never served in Pakistan before his appointment but I am sure he will also prove himself as successful Chinese envoy to Pakistan by following the footsteps of dynamic Yao Jing. Ambassador Yao Jing has served in Pakistan thrice in various capacities and in aggregate stayed in Islamabad for eleven years. The tenure of Excellency Yao Jing is believed to be the most important as professional and seasoned senior diplomat of China in Pakistan because during his tenure work on historic and gigantic project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor entered from PPP, PML-N governments to the PTI. Overall during last eleven years he as a diplomat has closely been monitoring the worthy project of CPEC while being in Pakistan.
Excellency Yao Jing in detail elaborates that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a major and pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, to which the leaders of our two countries have attached great importance and rendered active promotion. It has also won the across-board support from our two nations as it aims to provide new opportunities to the citizens as well as bring new impetus and vision to China-Pakistan friendship. He continues that CPEC is a long-term and systematic project to promote economic cooperation through collaboration on Gwadar Port, energy, transportation infrastructure and industrial cooperation. China Pakistan Economic Corridor will bring solid benefits to our two nations, he believes. With the completion of energy and infrastructure projects, conditions in Pakistan will definitely improve.
There will be more electricity integrated into national grid and the electricity supply will be more stable in near future. People of Pakistan will enjoy more convenient transportation and a better livelihood across the country. Alongside the major projects, social welfare institutions are being set up, especially in Gwadar, in the form of primary schools, vocational training centres, and hospitals with the grant of government of China. China will also provide Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa province with medical, educational and training projects in line with the need of local people, to translate the benefits of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor immediately among them. For average persons, the outcome of the CPEC are tangible, accessible and enjoyable to hundreds of thousands of families across the country.
Excellency Yao Jing believes that the China-Pakistan relationship is the cornerstone of foreign policy of both China and Pakistan. It is the consensus across the board. The CPEC has been a game changer. Pakistan will work together with China to advance CPEC cooperation for the benefit of the two countries and the region. Ambassador Yao Jing is of the view that China and Pakistan have been true friends and brothers for the last more than seven decades. The two countries have always adhered to the principles of peaceful coexistence in developing bilateral relations while upholding international and regional justice. China and Pakistan conduct win-win cooperation with the CPEC as a major platform. Pakistan has made great contribution to the international counter-terrorism campaign with huge sacrifice. It has played positive role for the peace process in Afghanistan and hosted Afghan refugees for more than four decades. China recognizes the positive role of Pakistan to regional peace and stability.
He says that no matter how the international situation changes, China will always stand with Pakistan, and is committed to deepening the iron clad China-Pakistan friendship, so as to make the China-Pakistan relations a model for building a community with a shared future. On several occasions Ambassador Yao Jing also commented on the baseless claims made by the enemies against China-Pakistan relations and the CPEC. Countries choose their own development models and cooperation partners. There is nothing new and nothing correct in the claims of the enemies about the CPEC. The hegemonic mentality of enemies is continuously trying to undermine the CPEC cooperation and Pakistan-China friendship. While the USA would like every country to follow its model, China would rather be a partner with Pakistan.
Pakistan appreciates China’s support to address the challenges of the COVID-19 and value China’s contribution to the international fight against the pandemic. Pakistan is firmly opposed to stigmatizing China. Ambassador Yao Jing is of the view that the international community is fighting against the COVID-19, we need unity and cooperation more than ever. It is advised that the people should stop pointing fingers at China and Pakistan and work for the real benefit of the humanity and the region. He has set precedent of high level of diplomacy in Pakistan. Undoubtedly, Pakistani nation acknowledges Excellency Yao Jing’s diplomatic services and with best wishes will miss him a lot. This is why keeping in view his meritorious diplomatic services recently Government of Pakistan has conferred him with Hilal-e-Pakistan high level civil award, which reflects that he lives in the heart of Pakistani nation.
—The writer is book ambassador, columnist, political analyst and author of several books, temporarily based in United Kingdom.
