The iron brothers’ true friendship was once again demonstrated in the Blue Hall of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, which is also Pakistan’s 74th Independence Day, when the ministry’s spokesperson congratulated the country on this important day, and wished for the further blossoming of ties. Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry, made the remarks at regular media briefing. He said China believes Pakistan will accomplish greater achievements in its development, according to a report published by Global Times on Saturday. Zhao worked at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan for eight years. Before becoming the ministry’s spokesperson, Zhao served as the embassy’s minister-counselor. Zhao previously said he has a deep affection for Pakistan. Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said in his address during flat hoisting ceremony at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing that Pakistan and China “share the dream of development, peace and security in the region. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) heralds prosperity for our future.” He highlighted the importance of Pakistan-China friendship. Despite the smear campaign from the West, the ambassador told the Global Times that “For the last 70 years, our relationship has been carefully nurtured by successive governments and the peoples of the two countries. It has stood the test of time.” “No scheme of our adversaries could impact this historic and close relationship. Let there be no doubt about this,” he said. Chinese netizens also congratulated Pakistan on its Independence Day anniversary on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo, with many expressing warm wishes and a long friendship. The two countries witnessed a further development in bilateral ties even amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Pakistani President Arif Alvi visited China in March during the pandemic, for the first time since he assumed office in 2018. On Thursday, the handover ceremony of 1,000 ventilators from China to Pakistan was held at Islamabad International Airport. Muhammad Afzal, chairman of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said Pakistan appreciates the government and people of China for the continuous assistance during the pandemic. He said China not only helped Pakistan battle the pandemic, but also assisted the country in fighting the locust swarms, by providing pesticides and related equipment. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China has donated materials weighing over 106 tons to Pakistan, and expanded cooperation in material assistance, experience sharing, traditional Chinese medicine and vaccine development, Zhao said. On July 10, when asked about the completion of an isolation hospital in Pakistan aided by China, Zhao said in Urdu, “Long Live China-Pakistan friendship!”