Pak-China friendly cooperation of great significance to two countries: Ex-Chinese envoy

BEIJING, May.24 (APP): Former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhou Gang has said that Pak-China friendly cooperation has been the mainstream of the past 70 years, which is of great significance to the two countries.

Zhou Gang joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in 1962 and successively served as ambassador to Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and India from 1988 to 2001.

Zhou, in an interview with China Economic Net (CEN) on the on the 70th anniversary of Sino-Pak diplomatic ties, was particularly excited while recalling his working experience in Pakistan from 1991 to 1995, Zhou.

He said he would never forget the profound friendship between China and Pakistan. “Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations.”

The friendship between local people and the Chinese still moved Zhou to date.
On April 25, 1992, Ambassador Zhou Gang went north along the Karakoram Highway on a visit to Gilgit. Since the highway, also called the “China-Pakistan Friendship Highway”, was built with the help of China in the 1960s and 1970s, the residents along the road always give the Chinese people warm and friendly reception.

“On our way back to the embassy the next day, we had a short rest on a hillside, where a group of children saw us and pointed in our direction. When they walked near and found the Chinese national flag flying on our car, they immediately cheered and shouted in Chinese: “Chairman Mao! Zhou Enlai!” he recalled.

Those children, he said, might have never walked out of the mountainous area or received school education, they knew great Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. “The seeds of Pakistan-China friendship have been deeply planted in their young hearts,” Zhou said.

“It was getting dark as we continued on our way. Unfortunately, we encountered a landslide which hindered our way forward. At this moment, a Pakistani sergeant came and gave a salute to us suddenly, saying “your excellency, this road was built for us by Chinese friends.

Whenever you take this road, you are welcome. This road is always open to you!”
The fallen earth and stones were quickly cleared up that night. Zhou held his hands tightly, saying in Urdu “brother, thank you very much!”

At noon on March 22, 1995 when Ambassador Zhou Gang was about to leave his post and return to China, a grand ceremony was held in the hall of the Presidential Palace, where the then Pakistani president met him and awarded him Hilal-i-Pakistan Medal for his contributions to Pakistan-China relations, and the economic and social development of Pakistan.

At the subsequent luncheon attended by the ambassadors of many countries to Pakistan, the president said to Ambassador Zhou’s wife Deng Junbing, “Professor Deng, you have done a lot in Pakistan for the friendship between Pakistan and China. Ambassador Zhou’s medal half belongs to you!”

Deng Junbing was deeply moved by the high appraisal given by the Pakistani president.
As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, Zhou Gang believes that China-Pakistan friendship is deepening and bilateral cooperation has been greatly expanded.

“This friendly cooperation is not only beneficial to the two peoples but also conducive to peace and stability in South Asia,” he adds.