Pakistan-China friendship: A sacred tale of abiding trust and love.

Byline: Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif

Confucius once paid tribute to friends and friendship in these illuminating words: "There are three types of good friends: one that is direct and honest; one that is trustworthy, dependable, and generous when you need help; and one that is knowledgeable and talented to guide you and show you what you can't see." China-Pakistan eternal friendship fulfils all three attributes as illustrated by the Great Master! Longevity, love and trust aptly describe the Pakistan-China friendship. There is no relationship like ours which so deeply touches the soul of our people and evokes such strong emotions. Poetic expressions with emotive diction are used to captivate the essence of these fabulous ties. Touching stories of mutual support and solidarity in difficult times, transferred from generation to generation, have become an ineffaceable element of our collective consciousness.

Nurtured by the enthusiasm of our peoples and steered by vision of the leadership, the seed of Pakistan-China friendship has blossomed into an evergreen tree with deep roots and strong branches. It has withstood the vicissitudes of international upheavals and vagaries of domestic changes. For Pakistan, relations with China form the cornerstone of our foreign policy; in China, Pakistan is described as Ba Tie i.e. China's Iron Brother, and elsewhere our ties are appreciated for their unique strength, enduring permanence and unfathomable trust. I would be soon in Beijing on my first bilateral visit after assuming office, and that too at an opportune time, soon after the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

I would like to express my heartiest felicitations to my brother General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China for starting a New Era of China's progress; and I say with complete confidence that it heralds the dawn of a brighter era of China-Pakistan friendship too! Ever since the beginning of my political career, China's civilizational ethos, rich historical experiences and its odyssey to become the centre of global politics and economics has been a subject of irresistible curiosity for me. In my previous visits to China, I tried to unlock the secrets of its rapid growth and development. I was deeply impressed to observe the selfless dedication, toil and labour of Chinese people, in particular the "Chinese speed" to achieve national targets set by the leadership. As the Chief...