China-Pakistan: Celebrating 65 years of friendship

China and Pakistan are celebrating 65 years of their diplomatic relations, which were formally established on May 21, 1951. Gradually, routine diplomatic ties have been transformed into a solid friendship, often termed as "higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the Arabian Sea, and sweeter than honey."

The top leaders of the two countries on the occasion of 65 years of ties vowed to continue working toward the path of closer cooperation in various fields. Chinese President Xi Jinping in his felicitation message said that "China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners" and their "relations have stood the test of the changes of international and domestic situations and constantly made headway."

President Xi rightly said that the two sides have made positive progress in all-around substantive cooperation and people-to-people exchange. Talking about economic cooperation, he said that the "construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will lay a solid foundation for building a China-Pakistan community of shared future. I attach great importance to China-Pakistan relations, and stand ready to work with you to create a better future for China-Pakistan relations."

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in his message for the occasion, highlighted that Pakistan was the first Muslim country to recognize China in 1951 and their "relations have grown from strength to strength, evolving and expanding into an all-weather cooperative and strategic partnership."

"China is our iron brother, reliable friend and trustworthy neighbor. Our two countries share a friendship underpinned by common interests and close cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas. The people of Pakistan have feelings of love, goodwill and closeness with the people of China. We are indeed proud of our friendship with China which is a model of a friendly relationship between two states for the entire world," he said.

Sharif also said that Pakistan looks toward China with admiration, as its "achievements are a source of inspiration for Pakistan," and China's role in the region and beyond was that of a harbinger of peace, harmony and prosperity for all.

The felicitation messages by other senior leaders also show similar sentiments of respect, cooperation and commitment for good ties. But having good wishes for each other is just one aspect of a relationship; the real strength comes from common commercial, economic and strategic goals and a vehicle to achieve them.

For decades, the China-Pakistan relationship was mostly focused on defense and strategic issues, until the two sides realized at the start of the 21st century that this economic and commercial aspect needed to be prioritized for common benefit. The 46 billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, also known as CPEC, is the product of a joint strategy and a strong desire to develop ventures on the principle of win-win cooperation. The CPEC provides immense economic benefits for Pakistan in the form of modern road infrastructure and several mega schemes for energy production and investment parks, which can transform its economic landscape in the coming years.

For China, it provides the shortest route to the oil-rich Middle East and technologically advanced Europe. It will cut costs for sending goods to these parts of the world and also generate supplies for the western region of China, which needs to develop on a fast-track basis. According to President Xi, "China regards Pakistan as an important partner in promoting the construction of the Belt and Road initiative" which shows the importance of the CPEC.

While the two sides have every reason to be happy and proud of their relations, they should be conscious of the forces of extremism and terrorism which have been a source of low-key trouble. Pakistan has shown a lot of strength in tackling militancy since the summer of 2014 when a major operation was launched in the tribal district of North Waziristan, but its job is not done yet. It is important to eliminate the support system and an atmosphere that in the past tolerated extremist teachings, literature and ideologies.

China's role is important not only in the economic transformation of Pakistan but also in the peace process in Afghanistan and supporting Pakistan for a peaceful relationship with India. Pakistan's development is linked with the improvement of its security situation, which is linked to the nature of its ties with Afghanistan and India.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

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