Political Counselor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Bao Zhong, Chairman & CEO of Pakistan Observer Mr Faisal Zahid Malik, Media Head, Embassy of China, Mr. Liu Chang, Chairman, OTV, Mr Omer Malik, Chief Digital Officer, Pakistan Observer, Mr Saud Faisal Malik and Chief Digital Strategist Mr Fahd Gauhar Malik in a group photo during the Chinese delegation’s visit to the offices of Pakistan Observer and OTV on Tuesday. – PO photo by Sh Arif
Zubair Qureshi
Political Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Ms Bao Zhong on Tuesday commended the contributions of the leading English language newspaper of Pakistan, the Pakistan Observer for giving good coverage to the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) and its positive impacts.
The BRI is in line with the vision of President Xi Jinping and aims at collective development of the entire region and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of this initiative, she said.
Ms Bao expressed these views while talking to Chairman & CEO of Pakistan Observer, Mr Faisal Zahid Malik during her visit to the offices of Pakistan Observer and the OTV here on Tuesday. Media Head of the Chinese embassy, Mr. Liu Chang was also accompanying her. The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the OTV, Mr Omer Malik, Chief Digital Officer of Pakistan Observer, Mr Saud Faisal Malik and Chief Digital Strategist of Pakistan Observer, Mr Fahd Gauhar Malik.
This was the first high-level contact in the New Year 2024 made by the Chinese Embassy’s senior officials demonstrating their trust in the leadership of Pakistan Observer and its pro-China strategy. Both sides exchanged New Year wishes and reiterated their resolve to continue to work together for the mutual economic, social and political benefits.
While exchanging views with Mr Faisal Zahid Malik, Ms Bao fondly remembered the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer, Mr Zahid Malik (late) and paid rich tributes to him for vocally championing the cause of Pakistan-China friendship. He was indeed a visionary man who firmly believed that Pakistan could take a turn around with the support of friends like China.
Welcoming Ms Bao and Mr Liu Chang, Mr Faisal Zahid Malik said China had always extended assistance to Pakistan in difficult times and for that the Pakistani nation was thankful to the leadership and people of China.
Under President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has made great strides bringing prosperity to its population and Pakistan needs to learn that marvelous turnaround made possible by China, he noted.
Last year, both China and Pakistan celebrated the 10th anniversary of the BRI’s game changer project i.e. CPEC which over the years, has emerged as a beacon of progress, regional connectivity, and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China, said Faisal Zahid Malik adding, the project had laid down the foundation of a comprehensive partnership that extending beyond mere infrastructure uplift, and encompasses diverse sectors such as energy, industry, agriculture, and human resource development.
Pakistan Observer, said Mr Faisal Zahid Malik, has always played a crucial role in strengthening the Pakistan-China relations and highlighting the significance and benefits of the CPEC.
My late father, Zahid Malik was so keen to strengthen the bond of friendship with China that he founded an international think tank, first ever of its kind “101 Friends of China” to promote bilateral relations and to counter propaganda against CPEC and Pak-China cordial relations.
He said the BRI had become a prominent international cooperation platform, generating substantial investments and creating job opportunities. “Under the joint efforts of Pakistan and China, CPEC will be further enhanced to elevate all-around cooperation to new heights,” he said.
He expressed the satisfaction that the work on CPEC was in full bloom and the project was now entering the next stage. The civil and military leadership with Army Chief, General Syed Asim Munir as the guarantor was determined to complete this game-changer project for the economic revival of the country. In this regard, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has also been established to remove all the hurdles and create an enabling investment and development climate, he said.
Mr Faisal Zahid Malik who is also the vice-chairman of the 101 Friends of China, complimented the Chinese leadership and the economic plan given recently by President Xi for revival of the third world countries’ economic situation. He paid rich tributes to President Xi Jinping for brokering peace in the world and promoting Win-Win relations between the erstwhile rival countries. This shows China’s role and concerns about conflicts in the world. He also referred to China’s clear stance on Palestine that calls for an immediate end to Israel’s hostilities in the occupied territories. In this way, President Xi has given voice to the feelings of the millions of Muslims in the world, he said while expressing gratitude to the Chinese leadership.
Earlier upon their arrival Chairman of the OTV, Mr Omer Malik, Chief Digital Officer of Pakistan Observer, Mr Saud Faisal Malik and Chief Digital Strategist Mr Fahd Gauhar Malik received the Chinese dignitaries and showed them various sections of Pakistan Observer, Social Diary and the OTV. They took keen interest in the production of the newspaper and its operations.
