Daily Times

Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque has said that the joint production of JF 17 Thunder Aircraft at Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation has become a symbol of the special relationship between Pakistan and China.

He made these remarks in a meeting with Wang Xiaohui, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Sichuan Provincial Committee, the highest-ranking CPC official in the province of Sichuan. This was the first meeting of the Ambassador during his four-day official visit to Sichuan province. During the meeting, Ambassador Haque underlined the close friendship and importance of China-Pakistan ties which were based on political trust, strategic partnership and practical cooperation. The Ambassador acknowledged the existing enduring relationship between Pakistan and Sichuan which had grown stronger over the years, especially after the opening of the Consulate-General of Pakistan in Chengdu in 2007.

Ambassador Haque also expressed gratitude to the leadership and the people of Sichuan province for their timely and generous assistance to Pakistan during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the wake of recent unprecedented floods in Pakistan. The Ambassador noted that the joint production of JF-17 Thunder Aircraft at Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) had become a symbol of our special relationship.

Many enterprises from Sichuan were investing in Pakistan in the energy, investment and agriculture sectors. The cultural and educational linkages were also growing with over 1,000 students enrolled in various universities in Sichuan. Recalling the consensus reached during the recent interactions of the leadership, the Ambassador requested the support of the Party Secretary for strengthening trade, investment and developmental linkages through focused and practical cooperation by using the already-existing sister province relationship between Sichuan and Punjab. Party Secretary Wang reaffirmed the importance of China-Pakistan relations and the enduring partnership between Sichuan and Pakistan. He also recalled the help extended by Pakistan during the earthquake in Sichuan in 2008.