Staff Reporter
China will provide 1800 training opportunities to Pakistan, help build and upgrade more than 50 schools, 50 vocational training centers and 30 hospitals in all areas of Pakistan.
Besides this, China will provide 20,000 scholarships for Pakistan students in the next 3 years, in order to strengthen their cooperative partnership in the social sector, this was stated by Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, while highlighting Sino-Pak growing relations in the recent years.
Nearly 30,000 Pakistani students are studying in China with more than 7,000 scholarships.
At present, 5 universities in Pakistan have established Confucius Institutes, and 58 universities have joined the CPEC University Consortium, he added.
Over the year of 2019, Ambassador Yao Jing said, they have strengthened mutual trust, mutual understanding and supported each other on issues related to our core interests.
China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, and highly commends Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
China and Pakistan jointly safeguard the important role of the UN Charter in international relations, oppose unilateralism and bullying, uphold international justice, and promote regional peace and stability.
Over the year, we have deepened bilateral cooperation in various fields and connected the Belt and Road Initiative with the ‘Naya Pakistan’ vision. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has progressed smoothly. We focused on social-economic, industrial and agricultural cooperation.
“We have finalized 27 priority projects of social development under the CPEC, of which 17 will be launched in the first half of 2020.
The second phase of the Free Trade Agreement between China and Pakistan comes into effect on January 1, 2020, and Pakistan’s exporting products such as leather, cotton and garment products will enjoy zero-tariff entry into China’s market.
A large number of Chinese enterprises have actively invested and established branches in Pakistan. Over the year, they have promoted people-to-people exchanges and continued to strengthen the foundation of friendship between the two countries.
2019 is the year of Sino-Pak local cooperation and we have established 16 local-to-local partnerships. We have imported Pakistani films like ‘Parwaaz Hai Junoon’, provided training for Pakistani table tennis team in China, invited Pakistani cricket team to visit China.
2020 will be a landmark year of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China will complete its thirteenth Five-Year Plan, eliminate absolute poverty completely, build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, 2020 will also be a historical year to usher in a new chapter of win-win cooperation between China and Pakistan.
As an iron brother, Pakistan will always be the prior partner in China’s external relations. China and Pakistan will strengthen mutual support and strategic cooperation. As good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers who share weal and woe.
Both sides will hold the 2nd Forum on local-to-local Cooperation between China and Pakistan and carry out more cultural activities. China welcomes more Pakistani friends to visit China, learn more about Chinese culture and promote mutual understanding between two civilizations.
The two countries will strengthen coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues, jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, support multilateralism and win-win cooperation, and highlight the representation and voice of developing countries on international affairs,” the ambassador added.
