ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Friday called for further bridging the peoples of Pakistan and China through promotion of Chinese language in Pakistan as it would prove to be the new stage of cooperation between the two countries.
Addressing the audience here as the chief guest at the event titled “UN-Chinese Language Day,” he said that the language was the most important means for communication, cooperation and connectivity and for the very purpose, promotion of Chinese language was imperative.
The function was organised by the Pakistan-China Institute, a local think-tank working to promote the bilateral relations between Pakistan and China at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS). “Pakistan and China are working together to promote people-to-people connectivity by establishing study centres,” Yao said.
In China, there are eight universities working to promote the Urdu language and 12 Pakistan study centres working to promote the mutual understanding between the two countries, he said and congratulated the Pakistan-China Institute under the leadership of Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed for the efforts the platform has made to promote the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and China.
“To commemorate the efforts of the institute on behalf of the Chinese government, we will take 30 Chinese language trainers from the PCI to China to promote further cooperation.” On the occasion, PCI Chairman Senator Mushahid said that people-to-people relationships were extremely important.
Last year, during the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Joint Cooperation Committee JCC), for the first time culture and tourism were included as a part of CPEC. He further talked about the rising trend of the Chinese language learners and university students studying in China. “About 25000 Pakistani students are learning Chinese, 22000 Pakistanis are studying in China and there are 60000 Pakistani employees working for Chinese companies and this number is set to rise”
National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Chinese Studies Centre Director Hasan Javed in his remarks mentioned how the Chinese silk route, which is now being described as the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), is important for Pakistan’s history. “The Silk route converged in Peshawar, where traders from different ethnicities would do business.”
He also emphasised the importance of history and culture of the Chinese language. Other speakers at the event included Zamir Awan, Sinologist at the National University of Science and Technology, Dr Zhang Daojian, director general of the Confucius Institute of Islamabad, and Mustafa Hyder Sayed, executive director of the Pakistan-China Institute who stressed on the soft-power of China i.e. culture and its importance in a Pakistani context, since the evolution of CPEC.
The function was largely attended by members of think-tanks, university professors, students, parliamentarians and media personnel.
