Marking 75 years of diplomatic friendship, a high-profile Chinese business and media delegation from Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong visited the Pakistan Observer headquarters in Islamabad, signaling a renewed push for economic, trade, and media cooperation between the two “iron brothers.”
Mr Gauhar Zahid Malik, President of Pakistan Observer, hosted the delegation and briefed them on the newspaper’s role as one of Pakistan’s most influential English-language dailies.
The delegation head described the visit as a “special gesture of goodwill,” noting that Pakistan Observer’s legacy and credibility make it a natural bridge for strengthening people-to-people and institutional ties.
Leading the Chinese delegation was Mr Chen Bin, Founding President of the Peking University Alumni Association of Pakistan and Chairman of IBuffet Investment Company in Hong Kong. Other prominent members included Mr. Gao Zhendong, Secretary-General of the Peking University Alumni Association and Director of Shenzhen First Overseas Asset Management Co., Ltd., and Mr. Wang Peng.
The delegation was also joined by representatives of First Overseas Financial Group and Guotai Haitong Securities, China’s largest securities firm with assets exceeding USD 11 billion, which is exploring avenues for financial collaboration in Pakistan’s capital markets.
Also present from Pakistan Observer were Mr. Omar Zahid Malik, Chairman of OTV; Mr. Abdullah Gauhar Malik, Digital Editor and Team Lead; Ms. Faiza Zafar, Communications Specialist; and Rana Tahir Shahbaz, Director of Marketing.
Discussions highlighted Pakistan Observer’s role in deepening bilateral relations, guided by the vision of its founder, Mr. Zahid Malik (Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz), who established the “101 Friends of China.” Following Mr. Zahid Malik’s legacy, the newspaper continues to strengthen Pak-China ties through advocacy and outreach.
Over the years, Pakistan Observer has boosted mutual trade and cooperation by organizing Roundtable Conferences on themes such as “Pakistan: Paradise for Investment and Economic Revolution From Kashgar to Gwadar and Beyond 2030,” along with specialized conferences on the South China Sea and China’s K2 and K3 nuclear power projects in Karachi. The newspaper has also published numerous books on China and produced special reports to enhance public understanding and reinforce the 75-year Pak-China friendship. The visit concluded with an exchange of souvenirs and a shared commitment to expand collaboration in trade, investment, and media exchange in the years ahead.
