ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and China have agreed on a joint action plan to observe 2011 as Pakistan-China friendship year and will focus on a wider people-to-people interaction in addition to bilateral contacts between the two governments through exchange of delegations and troupes.
The year 2011 was declared as Pak-China friendship year during the recent visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to Pakistan on the completion of 60 years of the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. Both the governments have agreed on the action-plan to celebrate 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations with zeal and fervour.
An official told Pakistan Today that both the countries had officially agreed on a plan to hold around 70 events covering cultural, diplomatic and educational sectors during the year. On an average, not less than five events would be held per month while 14 interactions would be conducted in May and 12 in November this year.
During the first quarter, a forum on Pak-China people-to-people friendship would be held while Chinese Spring Festival would be observed on January 27-31. Special business forums and countrywide essay writing competitions on Pak-China friendship for school and college students would also be held.
Pakistani officials will visit China to participate in Western China International Fair, Urumqi International Trade Fair and Kashghar International Fair, while a 100-member Chinese youth delegation has already reached Pakistan under the same agenda. A delegation of Pakistan’s print and electronic journalists will also visit China in February while the visit of women parliamentarians will take place in March. A delegation of Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs will visit Pakistan in March. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) will organise a special ceremony for airing China Radio International FM programme in Pakistan. The Pakistan Television (PTV) will hold weekly Chinese language classes from March.
