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China-Pakistan friendship promotes mutual exchange, supports BRI development: former ambassador
5 Aug 2021

 

Different from the zero-sum game of the West, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) represents China's approach to global development, which is needed and supported by developing countries like Pakistan, said a former Chinese ambassador, Lu Shulin.

 

Lu, who lived in Pakistan for 21 years, served as China's ambassador to Pakistan from 1999 to 2002. In a recent interview with the Belt and Road Portal (BRP), he talked about the efforts he has made in promoting China-Pakistan cooperation, especially people-to-people exchanges, as well as his views on the significance of co-building the BRI by the two countries.

 

BRP: Through years of diplomatic work, what efforts have you made to promote communication and cooperation between China and Pakistan?

 

Lu Shulin: The year 2001 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan, and at the time, Pakistan hoped that China could help build Gwadar Port and make it a landmark project like the Karakoram Highway. I was involved in the process when China and Pakistan agreed to jointly build the Gwadar Port.

 

In 2003, even though I had retired, I was asked to lead a group of representatives from the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce and some relevant companies to Gwadar port to inspect its construction situation. I was glad to see that Pakistan paid great attention to the safety of Chinese engineers and technicians. The construction was carried out rapidly and the first phase was completed by 2007.

 

Since then, I was invited to give speeches in numerous seminars held by China on constructing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). I also edited the book You and Us: Stories of China and Pakistan, which is the first volume of a series of 20 books on China’s relations with different neighboring countries.

 

In addition, I compiled a book of the poems and articles I have written over these years about Pakistan and China-Pakistan friendship. The book is called Garlands of Love. I regard these poems and articles as a garland for celebrating the long-lasting China-Pakistan friendship. In April 2021, the launch ceremony of the book was held at Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, with Pakistan's Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque and President of the China Pakistan Friendship Association Sha Zukang attending the event.

 

BRP: In your book Garlands of Love, there are specific poems praising the BRI and the CPEC. How do you understand the significance of them?

 

Lu Shulin: There is a line in an Urdu poem that I like very much –

If you plant a tree, you plant one of boundless love,

as it will blossom and bear fruit in your neighbor’s yard.

 

I like it because it embodies exactly the reason why China actively promotes co-building the BRI and the CPEC – China's development should benefit not only China itself, but also others, especially neighbors, in order to achieve common prosperity through win-win cooperation.

 

China's approach to global development is completely different from the Western zero-sum game. The warm reception of the first and second Belt and Road Forums for International Cooperation shows that China's vision is in line with the aspirations of many countries, especially developing countries like Pakistan.  

 

BRP: In order to promote high-quality development of the BRI in China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), how would you suggest enhancing people-to-people bonds between China and Pakistan?

 

Lu Shulin: Maintaining the friendship between countries requires tremendous efforts from both sides, which is why China and Pakistan should hold more events and activities to enhance cultural exchanges.

 

Activities such as promotion of tourism between the two countries, improvement of language education in each other's countries, and translation of each other's books, movies and TV programs will help Chinese people deepen the understanding of the culture and history of Pakistan and vice versa.

 

As China-Pakistan relationship becomes closer, I have noticed that people of the two countries are becoming more motivated to learn each other's language, with more Pakistanis learning Chinese and more Chinese learning Urdu. It is gratifying to see that nowadays there are Urdu majors at schools in many cities such as North China's Tianjin Municipality, Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Luoyang in Central China's Henan Province and Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, while earlier there was only Peking University teaching Urdu. 

 

BRP: How have locals in Pakistan viewed the BRI cooperation?

 

Lu Shulin: The BRI is now broadly welcomed across the globe, with developing countries showing interest and support.

 

For instance, Pakistani people are very enthusiastic about constructing the projects under the CPEC. Projects in sectors like energy, infrastructure and technological cooperation funded by Chinese companies are needed to improve Pakistan’s economy, as well as people's livelihood.

 

I remember how in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, electricity used to be cut off several times a day. Sometimes, we experienced a blackout right in the middle of a meeting. As energy projects take up a large proportion in the planning of the CPEC, China has in recent years helped Pakistan build a variety of energy projects, including both traditional and clean energy projects. With most of those projects completed, Pakistan’s energy problem has been greatly solved, which is rather beneficial to Pakistan’s economic development.

 

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall performance of Pakistan's economy in 2020 was satisfying, with a good number of CPEC projects going on and providing plenty of job opportunities. It is recognized in Pakistan that the CPEC is a game-changer for Pakistan with the potential to benefit over 3 billion people in the region.

 

As countries have actively made joint efforts to advance the BRI, the progress of the initiative will in turn promote the development of these countries and regions. 

 

Source: Belt and Road Portal