President, Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Lin Songtian, said China would help Pakistan through infrastructure development, industrialization, and capacity building of youth.
He made these remarks while addressing a press conference at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Thursday.
President of CPAFFC Lin Songtian, highlighting the China- Pakistan exemplary friendship, said that it is the responsibility of China to pull out Pakistan from poverty by enhancing trade and modernizing its infrastructure and technological development.
He added that technical skills are fundamental to achieving these goals besides education. In this regard, China is working with Pakistan to improve youth skills through vocational training institutes and the collaboration of both countries.
He further stated that the CPAFFC would enhance people-to-people exchanges to understand each other and strengthen the bonds between the two nations.
The media’s role is vital to create awareness and urged the media should play its role to show the development and progress of both countries.
“Media cooperation is helpful to promote people to people exchanges and we will invite Pakistani media to visit China and look for themselves the true story of how China defeated poverty. Youth exchange is also key. Capacity building is fundamental to development like human resources development. Vocational training schools are important in this regard,” he said.
He said China and Pakistan have 18 friendship cities and I would like to work to promote this bond so the two cities can work together to further develop together. He said China is working with Pakistan to help develop its under-developed areas and Gwadar’s development into a rich coastal hub for Answering a query, he said Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major platform for building a global community of shared futures and is an initiative for the common development of humanity. He added that Pakistan’s energy crises were reduced in the first phase of CPEC, and communication infrastructure improved. Both countries are working together to translate this traditional friendship into a more visible and tangible benefit to our People.
Talking about the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), he said that on the successful conclusion of the Congress, the first head of Government come to China was from Pakistan.
In reply to a question on his visit, he said in Pakistan, “when I came here, I was very well welcomed. The Chinese people are very touched by Pakistani brothers/sisters. Although we have a lot of international and domestic changes, our countries, governments, and people always stand together.
He said that keeping in view the iron-bond of friendship between China and Pakistan, he chose Pakistan as the first country for his overseas visit. He said that the CPAFFC had collected supplies worth 126 million RMB for flood hit people of Pakistan and these supplies would soon be shipped to Pakistan.
“Pakistan is my second home. We always remember that Pakistan always stood for China and also helped Chinese people in natural calamities and fighting COVID-19. I also came to help implement the consensus reached between President Xi and Premier Shehbaz Sharif on promoting people to people exchanges to shape a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
The President CPAFFC also emphasized, ” We will never forget Pakistan’s help to China after the devastating earthquake in winter in 2008.