ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Mr Jiang Zaidong on Saturday said that China stands ready to continue to seek greater synergy in development strategies with Pakistani side, to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, to foster an upgraded version of CPEC, and to accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
The Chinese envoy expressed these views while addressing the participants of a reception held to mark the New Chinese Lunar Year 2025 here at the Chinese Embassy.
The Chinese envoy also extended his high respects and sincere gratitude to all the friends who love traditional Chinese culture, care about and support China’s development, and actively promote China-Pakistan friendship.
“In the year 2024, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China. With deep affection, we looked back at the sea change that has taken place across China since the birth of the People’s Republic. At its Third Plenary Session, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sounded a clarion call for further deepening all-round reform. We will march forward in great strides to advance reform and opening up as the trend of our times. We will surely embrace even broader prospects in pursuing Chinese modernization in the course of reform and opening up,” he said.
Despite the complex situation with increased external pressure and internal challenges, the envoy said the China’s economy smoothly achieved its major expected goals and tasks and 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. In 2024, China’s total grain output exceeded 1.4 trillion catty for the first time, the production and sales volume of new energy vehicles both exceeded 12 million units, the annual express delivery volume exceeded 150 billion pieces for the first time, and the annual passenger volume of China’s national railways exceeded 4 billion for the first time. China advanced high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. 155 countries have joined the Belt and Road cooperation big family,” he said.
He 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. 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.
He said 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. These domestic and international achievements are fundamentally attributed to the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
“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. 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. The inflation rate dropped to its lowest level in seven years, and foreign exchange reserves reached a three-year high. Recently, the Pakistani government also announced a five-year economic transformation plan centered around the ‘5Es’ Framework, which opens up broad prospect for the economic and social development,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said, Pakistan successfully hosted the Meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the SCO Member States, and has already begun to assume its responsibilities as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Pakistan will surely play a bigger role in international and regional affairs.
“In the past year of 2024, we’re very honored to witness the China-Pakistan relations to be consolidated, deepened and expanded. President Xi Jinping maintained close communication with President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaching important consensus on advancing China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation, which provides fundamental guidance for our bilateral relations. Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif achieved mutual visits, injecting strong impetus into China-Pakistan cooperation in various fields. Just take the last two months as an example,” he said.
He said on 1st December of last year, the Khunjerab Pass achieved year-round opening. And on 30th December, the construction of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5(C-5) officially started. Not long ago, 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.
“Last week, China successfully launched Pakistan’s satellite to the space. This week, the new Gwadar International Airport welcomed its first commercial flight. 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. Among these tangible outcomes, there are both CPEC projects and non-CPEC projects, both commercial cooperation projects and development aid projects. They not only reflect the tenacity and certainty of China-Pakistan cooperation in an uncertain world, but also show that China-Pakistan practical cooperation is all-round and wide-ranging,” he said.
“In three days, we are about to usher in the Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar Chinese New Year. It is not only the longest-standing, richest in content, and most widely-influential traditional festival of the Chinese nation, but also an important moment for every family to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, to reunite, and to share joy. It carries the longing of all Chinese people for their homeland and their desire for family reunions. It embodies peace, amity and harmony which are values cherished by the Chinese nation and civilization. No matter where people are, no matter it is offline or online, they will try their best to celebrate the Spring Festival with their families together. This tradition is deeply rooted in the blood of every Chinese. As the saying goes, Home is always the warmest haven, no matter how far one is from it.”
He said the Spring Festival is not only a grand annual event for the Chinese nation, but also has become an important bond in global cultural exchanges. It has become a Chinese cultural symbol widely recognized and appreciated around the world, embodying the common aspiration of people from all over the world for a better future. More and more foreign friends have fallen in love with “celebrating the Spring Festival”.
Last year, he added, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly designated the Lunar New Year as a UN holiday. He said in December , “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
The successful inscription of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO list and its growing global presence not only affirm the profound cultural heritage of the Spring Festival, but also highlight its unique value in global culture. It is a specific action by China to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, to promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, and to contribute cultural strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
“May the Year of the Snake bring good fortune and endless growth.” We look forward to the “Spring Festival moment” and sharing the joy of the Spring Festival with our ironclad Pakistani friends. I hope everyone could experience the rich and colorful Chinese Spring Festival culture together, and feel the warmth and peace of the Spring Festival, and strength of the new year. 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!
As the poem goes, “Fireworks and lanterns are lit to bid farewell to the old year, and the golden snake dances across the mountains”. 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.
