China-Pakistan "Iron Brotherhood": 70 Years Hand in Hand.

Byline: Li Qingyan

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. China-Pakistan friendship has a time-honored history and in the 7 decades both countries have stood together in rain or shine, and built an exceptional, iron-clad friendship. Despite vicissitudes of times and changes in the international system, "AllWeather Strategic Cooperative Partnership" has grown into a towering tree with deep roots in the heart of the two peoples.

Chinese like to affectionately call Pakistani friends "iron brothers" while Pakistanis are used to describing Pakistan-China friendship as "higher than the mountains, deeper than the sea, sweeter than honey, and harder than steel". The two peoples have vividly expressed the essence of the "allweather friendship and all-round cooperation" between China and Pakistan in the plainest terms.

"All-weather friendship" Moving Forward

"All-weather friendship" means that the friendship between China and Pakistan are not disturbed by changes in the international arena and domestic situation of the two countries but remain strong and have always moved forward. Zhou Enlai, first Premier of the People's Republic of China, once said, friendly interactions between the Chinese and Pakistani peoples date back to the dawn of history and these relations have stood the test of history. During the long struggle against imperialism and colonialism in modern times, the two peoples have been sympathetic and supportive of each other. New China was founded in 1949 and Pakistan won its independence in 1947.

The year 1951 saw the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, with Pakistan being one of the first countries to recognise the New China and the first country in the Islamic world to establish diplomatic relations with China. During the Bandung Conference in 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai held friendly talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra, who played an important role in enhancing understanding and cooperation between China and Pakistan.

The following year both countries exchanged high-level visits and issued a joint statement emphasizing the different political systems and economic models of the two countries did not prevent them from strengthening friendly relations, which started a good course for bilateral relations. In the 1960s and 1970s, the situation in South Asia and the world changed dramatically while the relations between China and Pakistan warmed up rapidly.

The resolution of the Sino-Pakistani border issue through signing of the 1963 Boundary Agreement cleared the way...