Pakistan, China to strengthen people-to-people relations: Dr Li

ISLAMABAD: President of Pak-China Global Cultural Link Dr Li Yi has said that Pakistan and China are time-tested all-weather friends and promotion of culture between the two countries will further deepen relations at people-to-people level.“Public diplomacy was the need of the hour, and we shall promote it through cultural activities in both the countries,” he said while talking at a closing ceremony of three-day first Chinese traditional culture and creative exhibition titled “Chinese Culture IP Exhibition at PNCA.” He termed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s second visit to China as very important and said that it will pave way for further cooperation and opening up of economic opportunities for the benefit of the two close friendly countries. The PNCA Director General, Syed Jamal Shah, on the occasion, distributed awards and certificates among the participants. Dr Li Yi said that “One Belt and One Road” initiative would bring prosperity for the whole region. CPEC is a great project which has the potential to become a game changer. He said during the forthcoming visit of PM Imran Khan to China, free trade agreement would be finalised which has come to its final phase after eight-year negotiation process. He said Pakistan and China are closest friend and ally and their friendship is quoted as an example.He said first cultural protocol between the two friendly countries was signed late back in 1965 and since then we have been doing many more cultural initiatives. He said an executive four-year cultural programme was initiated in 2018 under which numbers of initiatives have taken place. He said it is indeed a delightful moment to inaugurate first China culture and creative exhibition.China valued the friendship with Pakistan and thanks for hospitality, he said and added Pakistan and China has cooperation and CPEC is part of that cooperation. He said high level exchanges and visits of Pakistan and China leaderships gave us a kind of direction and momentum for more cooperation. “I can say that in next stage of CPEC, our cultural cooperation and people to people links will further enhance,” he said.“Under social sector health, education, poverty alleviation, human resources developments were the major areas of next stage of CPEC Cooperation,” he said and added this event was part of One Belt and One Road initiative between China and Pakistan.He said Pakistan and China would cooperate for the betterment not only for our two nations but to the communities and all other nations of this region as well as for this world. He thanked the Ministry of National History and Literary Heritage and PNCA for cooperating in organising the exhibition.The PNCA Director General Syed Jamal Shah said culture was the best possible communication. He congratulated the Embassy of China for organising the oriented charm exhibition. He said this interaction would become very enable platform for us.It is pertinent to mention here that during the opening ceremony a launching ceremony of findings stars in the desert and Chinese idiom stories in Urdu was also held. The students and performing arts group PNCA also presented Chinese and Pakistan traditional dance performances. Stalls of traditional culture and creative art work were displayed at the exhibition.

from The News International - National http://bit.ly/2W0dBcz