Youth exchanges essential for Pakistan-China relations: Mustafa Sayed

The 70th anniversary of Pakistan and China is not just a state-to-state anniversary but a celebration by the people of both countries, according to a report published by China Economic Net.

“Pakistan is now in a period of youth bulge, with over 60% of its population under the age of 35. So, when we talk about Pakistan-China friendship, we have to think about the next 70 years, the young generations, because we enjoy a shared future,” said Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director of Pakistan-China Institute. “Although we have the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a lot of Pakistani youth don’t have the institutional memory of our friendship with China. There is a lot of goodwill in Pakistan when it comes to China across all spectrums of society, but our youth are not as aware of the importance and history of our relationship with China. So, it’s very important to make them a stakeholder in this relationship,” he said.

“The youth of Pakistan is ambitious and very patriotic. A lot of young people who go abroad for higher education are coming back to Pakistan, for they hold the aspiration of building a great Pakistan as what’s shared by the Chinese youth for their country,” he said. “They know we have to take a journey towards a prosperous future, for which we need strong partners we can learn from and depend on. And that partner is China who has always been there for us no matter how the world changes,” he added.

“With one-year experience in Beijing and over 30 visits, what I’m most impressed is the thriving artificial intelligence, big data, and E-commerce in this city, and that’s what Pakistan, especially the youth of Pakistan, should set their goal for.” He said. “China is experiencing its fifth industrial revolution, and we in Pakistan can benefit from it as well through a skilled labor force,” he further said. “Chinese universities offer numerous opportunities that can be especially beneficial to Pakistani students. I believe that in order to learn about a society, about a people, one must visit the country; and in this regard Chinese universities offer the best opportunity to experience the Chinese society up close,” he added.

Pakistan China Institute (PCI) has been contributing a lot in this regard. Under the arrangements of PCI, two delegations of young leaders consisting of parliamentarians, journalists, and scholars have visited China.