Chengdu
China, in true sense of the word, with its technological advancement has become a role model for others, especially for developing, poorer, and not so rich countries, It has shown to the world, what hard work, initiative, drive and unbreakable faith in human intelligence, mountains will move too. Nothing in unachieveabe, provided the will to surmount the odds is there.
Under the visionary leadership of President XI Ji Ping, and the Communist of the country, this huge landmass and mass of its human resource, has become a world leader, registering record growth rate, climbing new heights, of progress and development, turning the entire face of the country to a level where lot more countries, States of the People should learn from to be in the line of progress and advancement.
I am not new to China, my fourth visit to this great neighbour of ours, coming first here in 1974 with late Mr Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttp, had the privilege of being photographed with Chairman Mao De Zung, and Premier Chou En-Lai, again in 1987 for an international congress, organized by well known Pakistani banker Agha Hasan Abedi, and then as guest of the Chinese government in 2014 with my wife and daughter.
But every time I was here, I found a new China, a country, preserving its fundamental principles, and yet opting for modernization, which was bound to pay handsome dividends, which it has. China is different from what it was in 70s. Today it a powerful country, an economic giant, challenging the most powerful America, Its industrial expansion, communication facilities, innovations, and search for new avenues, lent it strength for tit-for-tat reply to duty imposition by Donald Trump on Chinese exports to USA.
But China was not be daunted. It protected its rights, knew well how to counter such ridiculous threats. For Pakistan, China is all weater friend. Late premier Chou En-Lai;s frequent visits to Pakistan, and open support to Pakistan in the midst of the965 war with India by the then Chinese defence minister Marhsal Chen-yi to take its hands off Pakistan, are still fresh in my memory. Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, cities that I visited, and many more are just great, The biggest lesson to remember is that China developed its own system, result being all-embracing benefits for this great country, and its people, 700 million of who had been lifted to above the poverty line. No joke, tremendous input must have been there.
Realising the importance communication, Chinese Peoples”daily organizing its 10 successive media workshop here with 3 new members, including Japan, and Korea as its new members. It was a monumental success. Nearly 100 invitees from Asian countries heard the Deputy editor in chief of the Peoples daily, taking pride in his newspapers iniative, and some very senior editorial and staff members from the newspapers, and Xhinua new agency, emphasizing the need for media to work for welfare of the people, and for removing conflicts, tensions and discomforts, inflicting our times of today. At the round table conference, most participants views were recorded/ A three-member Pakistani delegation from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad was in attendance too at the posh Shangrila hotel.
Just a day before the conference started, a kick-off session of journalists was held in which Pakistan Observer was bestowed the honour to speak about the impressions of Asia Meida Worskhop. This scribe sent by the newspaper paid eloquent tributes to China’s tremendous growth in almost ever segment of life, be it defence, international affairs, technolgocial growth, economic progress, and support to poorer, and not so fortunate countries of Asia and Africa. I as representative of Pakistan’s prestige newspaper paid eloquent tributes to the communist party, and its leader President Xi Jin Ping, and to Peoples Daily for undertaking such massive exercise, and allowing the media from different points of the world, from japan, Korea, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Indonesia, Malaysia and you name the Vietnam, and you name the country, it was there.
The programme for such gigantic effort was well thought out—confernece, dinner, sight seeing, and allowing time to media from all over Asia to know each other, and work together for world peace, for making most out of the current century being Asian century. Not mentioning the Chinese hospitality would be unkind. Despite language barrier, every Chinese, be it she or he, from and ordinary worker to the top level officials will smilingly help you, and even leave his eat to provide you help. This was something great. Chinese in real meaning are a great nation. My Hats off to them.
