Report: FT Correspondent:
KARACHI — Sindh Governor Syed Nehal Hashmi, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Acting Chinese Consul General in Karachi Feng Deheng have lauded the longstanding and time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China.
Addressing a reception hosted by the Acting Consul General to mark China’s National Day, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah congratulated the Chinese government and people on the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
He described Pakistan-China relations as an enduring partnership based on mutual trust, sovereign equality and support for each other’s core interests, calling the relationship an “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.”
The chief minister highlighted China’s achievements in economic development, infrastructure, science and technology, poverty reduction and green development, saying China’s progress had inspired developing countries seeking sustainable growth.
He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project, had added a transformative dimension to bilateral relations through connectivity, energy projects, industrial development and infrastructure investment.
Murad Ali Shah said Sindh, as Pakistan’s economic and commercial hub, had a central role in Pakistan-China cooperation. He welcomed growing Chinese investment in energy, ports and logistics, industry, agriculture, information technology, urban infrastructure, healthcare and education.
He said the Sindh government was keen to expand cooperation in renewable energy, smart urban development, agricultural modernisation, vocational training, digital transformation and industrial innovation.
Acting Consul General Feng Deheng said practical cooperation between Pakistan and China had deepened, with efforts underway to promote the high-quality development of CPEC.
He said the two countries were focusing on agriculture, industry and mining to accelerate the development of an “upgraded CPEC 2.0”.
Feng Deheng also highlighted frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries this year, saying political mutual trust had continued to strengthen.
The ceremony began with the national anthems of Pakistan and China and concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony.
