China will always stand firmly with Pakistan, says Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong

ISLAMABAD  –  Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong on Saturday said that the China will continue to seek greater synergy in development strategies with Pakistan, to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Addressing the “Chinese New Year, We Celebrate Together” celebration event, the ambassador said that this cooperation will also foster an upgraded version of CPEC and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. He said that both CPEC projects and non-CPEC projects, both commercial cooperation projects and development aid projects not only reflect the tenacity and certainty of China-Pakistan cooperation but also show that China-Pakistan practical cooperation is all-round and wide-ranging.  He said that China’s economy smoothly achieved its major expected goals and tasks. He added, the economy grew in size, optimized in structure, and was driven by new momentum. China’s GDP exceeded 130 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 134.9 trillion yuan RMB, representing a 5% year-on-year increase.  He said that the China advanced high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as 155 countries have joined the Belt and Road cooperation.

The ambassador said that in 2024, China’s total trade with Belt and Road participating countries exceeded 22 trillion yuan, a 6.4% year-on-year increase, accounting for 50.3% of China’s total foreign trade value.

He said that China put forward the five-point proposal for build a more beautiful home of the SCO, eight practical measures to support the high-quality development of BRICS cooperation, and China’s eight actions for global development.  These efforts have advanced the reform of global governance, strengthened the solidarity of the Global South, and taken new solid steps towards building a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.  The ambassador said, “In the past year of 2024, we were delighted to see that the new Pakistani government has made all-out efforts to advance various reform agendas, achieving new progress in national development and enhancing Pakistan’s international status.” He said that Pakistan’s GDP is expected to grow by 3.5% in the current fiscal year. In the first six months of this fiscal year, Pakistan’s current account surplus reached its highest level in 15 years, with both foreign investment and overseas remittances rebounding.

He said that the inflation rate dropped to its lowest level in seven years, and foreign exchange reserves reached a three-year high.

He said that on 1st December of last year, the Khunjerab Pass achieved year-round opening while on 30th December, the construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5(C-5) officially started.

He said that the State Bank of Pakistan announced that China’s investment in Pakistan accounted for 40% of Pakistan’s total foreign investment in the first six months of the new fiscal year. He said that the new Gwadar International Airport welcomed its first commercial flight while a few days ago, a Chinese expert team traveled all the way to Pakistan and has successfully performed surgical treatment for children with congenital heart diseases.  He said that the theme of today’s event is “Chinese New Year, We Celebrate Together”. “Our door is always open to you, and China will always stand firmly with Pakistan.” He said that the incoming new year is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. In traditional Chinese culture, snake symbolizes wisdom, agility, bravery, and tenacity.

“In the new year, we stand ready to work with Pakistani side, to work hard and move forward courageously, to be practitioners of friendly cooperation, promoters of mutual learning among civilizations and participants in building a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly create an even more brilliant future for China-Pakistan relations.”