President Mamnoon Hussain has said
that Pakistan and China have witnessed historic expansion and depth in their bilateral
relations during the last four years and hoped that this warmth will continue
to further grow in the coming generations. The President stated that this
period will always be remembered as a golden era of Pak-China relations.
The President said this
while talking to outgoing Ambassador
of China Sun Weidong and his wife Madame Bao Jiqing who called
on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Thursday.
Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and
other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, President
Mamnoon Hussain conferred the award of Hilal-i-Pakistan on the outgoing Chinese
Ambassador during a special investiture ceremony. He was given this award for
rendering meritorious services with regard to further strengthening the
bilateral relation between the two countries.
The President
stated that Ambassador Sun Weidong worked tirelessly to further enhance the
Pak-China relations and his services in this regard will always be remembered.
The President underscored that Pakistan and China are iron brothers and will
always stand by each other. The President highlighted that the magnificent
project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was initiated during the
tenure of Ambassador Sun Weidong and the development work was also carried out
on fast track basis. The President emphasized that Ambassador Sun Weidong is a
true friend of Pakistan who along-with his wife rendered invaluable services to
further bring the people of two countries closer.
The outgoing
Chinese Ambassador said that the Hilal-i-Pakistan award is a great honor for
him. He stated that he was glad that the CPEC project was transformed into
reality during his tenure. He further said that his stay in Pakistan was like a
stay in his own country and these pleasant memories will always live in his
heart. He also stated that the contributions of the Federal Minister Ahsan
Iqbal in the rapid development of CPEC are unsurpassed.
