The Chinese Dream

October 1 is the 64th anniversary of the founding of the founding of Peoples Republic of China

Since my assumption of office as Chinese Consul General in Karachi more than 3 months ago, I have had extensive contacts with Pakistani officials, party leaders, religious dignitaries and friends from business, media, friendly organizations in Sindh and Balochistan. I have also participated in many functions such as the celebration marking the Independence Day of Pakistan in Quaid-e-Azam Square, Karachi. I truly feel the outpouring of fraternity from the Pakistani people every day and everywhere.

I am deeply impressed by so many touching stories about our two countries and two peoples.

Over the past 62 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries, China-Pakistan relationship has always been rock-firm and full of vitality, regardless of any change in both domestic and international situations. People acclaim our relationship as being “higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey” and our two countries as “good neighbours, good friends, good partners and good brothers”. They are not only the revealing of deep emotions of the two peoples but also the true reflection of the all-weather friendship and all round cooperation between the two countries.

China-Pakistan friendly relations are based on both convictions and actions. We always respect each other, treat each other with sincerity and enjoy a high degree of mutual trust. We always share the same destiny, stand together in both good and hard times and treat each other as brothers. China-Pakistan friendship is a priceless fortune for both countries and should be well treasured and well nurtured. We have every reason to have it further consolidated and strengthened.

The furtherance of China-Pakistan relations accords with the common aspirations and fundamental interests of the two peoples and is conducive to promoting peace and development in the region as well as the world.

At present, the growth of friendly cooperation between the two countries is embracing new opportunities. Not long ago, only within six weeks, premiers of both countries concluded successful exchange of visits. Leaders of both sides reached wide-ranging consensus on deepening our bilateral relations, which arouses our greater expectations, confidence and strength.

We are delighted to see that exchange and cooperation in various fields between China and provinces of Sindh and Balochistan are increasing in both width and depth. The two sides are having robust commerce and trade. Chinese enterprises, with the aim of win-win cooperation and bringing benefits to locals, are intensifying investment and initiating more cooperation projects, covering such areas as energy, resources, infrastructure and finance. The people-to-people exchanges are also dynamic. More and more Pakistani friends go to China to pursue business, attend fairs and other exchange programmes, playing a positive role in promoting mutual friendship. The Chinese Confucius institute in Karachi University is about to open soon. Looking forward, we see a vaster room and potential for mutual friendly cooperation. The Consulate General is ready to work actively with friends from all walks of life in Sindh and Balochistan so as to achieve more outcomes in growing our friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation.

Under the strong leadership of Communist Party of China, the country has made tremendous achievements in all its endeavours. Nowadays, the Chinese people are embarking on the ‘Chinese Dream’ to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Chinese dream internally aims at accomplishing country’s prosperity, national renewal, and people’s welfare and happiness, and externally pursues unswervingly a strategy of opening-up and mutually beneficial cooperation and a path of peaceful development. The Chinese dream is a dream to share common prosperity and peaceful development with the rest of the world and it will bring to all countries opportunities instead of threats.

The ‘Chinese Dream’ will benefit not only the Chinese people, but also the people of the world. According to statistics released by the IMF, since breakout of the global financial crisis, China has contributed to nearly one-fourth of the global economic growth. The purchasing power released by Chinese market will reach 64 trillion Yuan by 2020.

In the next five years only, China is expected to import 10 trillion US dollars of goods, invest 500 billion US dollars overseas and have over 400 million tourists abroad. That will provide massive opportunities for global development.

Against the background of a gloomy recovery of the world economy, the newly elected Chinese government has ensured the consistency of macroeconomic policy by making consistent efforts in coordinating growth, adjustment and reform. China maintained its growth rate in the first half of this year at 7.6 per cent, which still ranks on the top of all major economies in the world.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang assured the world during the just-concluded ‘Summer Davos’ in Dalian of China that in the future, China will keep tapping potential domestic demand, unleashing innovation, motivation and reform dividends and will upgrade the Chinese economy, in order to let the achievements of reform and development better serve the people and provide confidence and positive signs for the stability and prosperity of the world economy.

Pakistan is a great nation with huge potential for development and a bright future. People of Pakistan are working hard on their ‘Asian Tiger Dream’ to achieve a vigorous economic and social development. The ‘Chinese dream’ and the ‘Asian Tiger Dream’ are closely related and are highly complementary to each other.

The proposal of building of China-Pak economic corridor presents a broader prospect for bilateral cooperation, which will certainly bring about more tangible welfare for both countries and their peoples. The building of China-Pakistan economic corridor will link our two countries much closer. The blueprint of economic corridor made up of numerous highways, rails, pipelines, cable lines, prosperous commerce and trade will undoubtedly come true in the near future through our joint efforts.

Let us seize the opportunity and work closely for a new chapter for China-Pakistan strategic partnership of cooperation, for a better future of the common progress of our two countries and the region at large.

The writer is Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Karachi.