China, Pakistan to Further Strengthen ‘All-Weather’ Strategic Partnership: Chinese Consul General

KARACHI:Acting Chinese Consul General in Karachi Feng Deheng has said that China and Pakistan are good neighbors connected by mountains and rivers, emphasizing that regardless of developments in the world, China will continue to strengthen its relations with Pakistan.

He made the remarks while addressing a ceremony held at the Chinese Consulate in Karachi to mark the **77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China**. Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, consuls general of various countries, political leaders and business personalities attended the event.

Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nihal Hashmi, who was the chief guest, said Pakistan-China friendship had remained steadfast through every challenge. He described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a practical manifestation of the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

He said Pakistan-China cooperation was expanding beyond infrastructure into industry, technology, agriculture and innovation, adding that the strong bilateral friendship was also important for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said CPEC had contributed to Pakistan’s development through connectivity, energy, industry and infrastructure. He said Chinese investment was increasing in several sectors in Sindh, including energy, ports, industry and agriculture.

The chief minister said the Sindh government wanted to further expand cooperation in renewable energy and modern urban development and assured that the provincial government remained committed to providing a conducive environment for Chinese investors.

Feng Deheng described China and Pakistan as good neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, good friends bound by trust and mutual support, and brothers who share each other’s joys and difficulties.

He said the two countries maintained high-level political and security cooperation, collaborated at the international level and supported each other’s interests.

Referring to high-level contacts during the year, the consul general said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had undertaken successful visits to China, during which the leadership of both countries provided a roadmap and strategic guidance for further strengthening the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

He said China was committed to translating the common understanding reached by the leadership of both countries into practical outcomes, increasing people-to-people contacts and responding to uncertainties in the global environment with the certainty of China-Pakistan relations.

Speaking about Pakistan’s economic development, Feng said China was pleased to see the Pakistani people achieving new successes in the country’s development process and noted that Pakistan’s macroeconomic situation had stabilized.

On CPEC, he said work on **upgraded CPEC Phase-II** was being accelerated. He also highlighted growing cultural ties between the two countries, saying visits by Pakistanis from different fields to China had helped strengthen bilateral relations.

He called for further promotion of mutually beneficial cooperation, faster implementation of upgraded CPEC, and greater collaboration in industry, agriculture, mining and information technology. He also stressed the need to expand exchanges in education, culture, science and technology for the benefit of the people of both countries.

Without directly naming the war between the United States and Iran, the consul general said Pakistan was playing a unique mediating role in regional conflicts and congratulated Pakistan for its efforts.

Discussing China’s foreign policy, Feng said that in a turbulent world, China was fulfilling its responsibilities as a force for peace, stability and development. Beijing, he said, advocated common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and promoted political settlements in regions facing tensions.

In this context, he referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s four-point proposal concerning the Middle East.

Recalling China’s development journey, Feng said the country had transformed itself from a poor and underdeveloped nation requiring reconstruction in almost every sector into the world’s second-largest economy through historic progress. He added that China had also remained the world’s largest manufacturer and trader for several years.

He said China had eliminated extreme poverty through transformative measures, built the world’s largest education, social security and healthcare systems, and ensured that the benefits of development reached the people.

Highlighting the significance of 2026, Feng said the year also marked the **105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China** and the first year of implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

He said China’s GDP had grown by **4.7 percent** this year, keeping the country among the world’s leading economies. Artificial intelligence was developing rapidly, the transition toward green energy was accelerating, and China had become a major trading partner of more than 160 countries.

He further said that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation had benefited three-quarters of the countries around the world.

Feng said China had achieved positive results in scientific and technological innovation and was playing a leading role in several fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, human spaceflight and new energy.

He highlighted China’s continued innovation in areas ranging from integrated circuits and pharmaceutical research and development to rockets and humanoid robots, noting that the country’s innovation drive was continuing.

Concluding his address, the acting consul general said the world was facing complex challenges, but the trend toward peace, development and cooperation could not be stopped. He also described multipolarity and economic globalization as irreversible processes.

He said China and Pakistan should build on their past achievements and take the bilateral partnership to new heights.