ISLAMABAD: Outgoing Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong on Saturday said that the China’s economic rise will immensely benefit Pakistan in achieving its socio-economic agenda and improving the livelihood of the people.
He was speaking at a farewell reception held in his honour by China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Parliamentary Committee Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain on Friday night.
The reception was also attended by the ambassador’s wife Diana Bao and some members of the parliament including, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senator Talha Mehmood and Senator Abdul Qayyum and Chinese embassy official Zhao Lijian.
Sun Weidong said China will fully stand by Pakistan in overcoming its socio-economic problems, particularly the energy shortage and industrial development.
He said he received too much love from the people of Pakistan and wanted to reciprocate in the same manner by doing his utmost during his future diplomatic career. It will be his life-long mission to promote Pakistan everywhere. The element of sincerity is the hallmark of their relationship, he added.
He said he was confident that the CPEC would greatly contribute to Pakistan’s economy. The result of CPEC, mentioned by Ambassador Sun Weidong, was that prior to the CPEC, Pakistan’s growth rate was at an annual of 3.6 per cent, but now it has gone up to 5.3 per cent despite many challenges.
Ambassador Sun Weidong said that people-to-people relations between the countries were already being broadened and more than two hundred thousand visitors from both countries visited each other in 2016.
Senator Mushahid Hussain, while praising the contribution of Weidong, said he had an eventful tenure that delivered a lot of benefits to the people of Pakistan. Calling his wife as co-ambassador, Mushahid Hussain said they found her most active during the period in improving cultural relations and people-to-people contacts.
Mushahid also referred to the contribution of the ambassador’s father, who served in the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan from 1952-58, and said their family had served Pakistan-China friendship from ‘generation to generation’.