Honorable H.E. Saif-ur-Rehman, Administrator of Karachi,

Honorable Mr. Mubasher Mir, President of Karachi Editor Club(KEC),

Honorable Mr. Manzar Naqvi, Secretary General of KEC,

Honorable Mr. Irfan Wahid, CEO, GFS builder,

Honorable Mr. Haji Muhammad Rafiq Pardesi, CEO, HMR group

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

Good evening!

I am delighted and honored to attend tonight's welcome dinner. Just now, I had friendly exchanges with many friends and once again felt the warmth and hospitality of our Iron Brothers and sisters.

I would like to express my special thanks to H.E. Saif-ur-Rehman, Administrator of Karachi for attending today's event. I would also like to thank Mr. Mubasher Mir and Mr. Manzar Naqvi, for organizing this event. My thanks also go to Adpulse, GFS builders, HMR Group. Thank you all for attending the welcoming dinner.

Coming to Pakistan, our brotherly and friendly country, as the 17th Consul General of China in Karachi, I feel greatly honored. Although this is my first time to be in this country, Pakistan is not at all unfamiliar to me. China and Pakistan are neighboring countries connected by mountains and rivers, relying on each other like lips and teeth. The ancient Silk Road, over 2,000 years ago, tightly connected the peoples of both countries. On May 21, 1951, breaking through the barriers of ideology and the Cold War 'Iron Curtain', the two countries formally established diplomatic relations. Over the past 72 years, under the strategic guidance of leaders from both nations, China-Pakistan relations have forged ahead, comprehensively developed through the joint efforts of the governments and peoples of both countries, and remained steadfast amidst the changing international landscape. It has formed an unbreakable 'iron-clad' friendship, which have not only become the precious strategic assets for both countries but also serve as an exemplary model of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between nations with different social systems and cultural backgrounds.

Today, China-Pakistan relations enjoy closer high-level exchanges. Prime Minister Shehbaz was the first foreign head of government to visit China just after the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, receiving high-level attention and reception from the Chinese side. The leaders of both countries have reached numerous important consensuses on the development of bilateral relations. In early May this year, China's newly appointed State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Pakistan, meeting with Pakistani leaders and holding the fourth China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Bilawal, yielding fruitful outcomes.

Today, China-Pakistan relations witness more fruitful cooperation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Over the past decade, the CPEC has brought $25.4 billion in direct investment to Pakistan, accumulated revenues of $17.55 billion, tax payments of $2.12 billion, created 192,000 job opportunities, and assisted Pakistan in adding 6,000 megawatts of electricity, 510 kilometers of highways, and 886 kilometers of the national grid, making significant contributions to promoting Pakistan's economic and social development, enhancing people's well-being, and deepening people-to-people affinity and regional connectivity between China and Pakistan. CEPC has become a name brand of China-Pakistan cooperation.

Today, China-Pakistan relations are deeply ingrained in mutual support and assistance. Both countries have shown mutual understanding, trust and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests. Pakistan has consistently provided firm support to China on issues concerning Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, and human rights. Similarly, China has consistently supported Pakistan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as in promoting Pakistan's economic and social prosperity. In times of difficulties, China and Pakistan have always been shoulder to shoulder. Chinese people will never forget that after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pakistan sent urgently needed tents and masks to China. As the epidemic  worsened in Pakistan, China took the lead in providing vaccine assistance despite a very tight domestic vaccine supply. When the devastating floods happened in Pakistan  last year, Chinese government and Chinese people provided full assistance. During the evacuation operations in Yemen and Sudan, Chinese warships carried hundreds of Pakistani citizens, and Pakistani warships also assisted in the evacuation of several Chinese students. We can put more cases in such a list. Chinese President Xi Jinping once said during his visit to Pakistan, “Having gone through weal and woe together, we couldn’t feel more gratified to have each others as great neighbor and friend.”

Today, China-Pakistan relations exhibit greater strength in international collaboration. The two countries maintain close cooperation and collaboration within the framework of the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and actively engage in trilateral dialogues with Afghanistan. Pakistan, alongside China, is committed to implement Global Development Initiatives(GDI), Global Security Initiatives(GSI), and Global Civilization Initiatives(GCI), which were proposed by President Xi Jinping, jointly advancing global governance towards a more just and equitable direction.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

Last October, the Communist Party of China successfully held its 20th National Congress, initiating a new journey towards building a modern socialist country in all respects. The 20th Congress clearly stated the goal of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through a Chinese path to modernization. As the world's largest developing country, China always embraces the world and takes a global perspective. While pursuing its own development, China injects more positive energy into world peace and brings new opportunities to global development. Chinese modernization has distinctive Chinese characteristics, this is, a huge population, common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical advancement, harmony between humanity and nature,  and peaceful development. The facts have proven that China's march towards modernization is an increase in the forces of peace and the strengthening of justice.

According to some research institutions, to achieve the grand goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects by the mid-21st century, China's economy needs an average annual growth rate of over 4.8% from now until 2049. Since the beginning of this year, especially with effective control of the epidemic, China's economy and society have fully resumed normal operations. Economic growth has exceeded expectations, market demand is gradually recovering, and the economy is showing signs of positive recovery and improvement. In the first quarter of this year, the economy grew by 4.5%, achieving a good start to economic performance. The target for China's economic growth this year is around 5%, and we have confidence in achieving this goal. As the world's second-largest economy, China is currently striving for high-quality development, ensuring a qualitative and effective improvement and reasonable growth of the economy.

Chinese modernization and China's high-quality economic development provide broad space for deepening cooperation between China and Pakistan and achieving common development. We are willing to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with Pakistan on the concepts, experiences, and measures of achieving modernization, and assist both countries in continuously making new progress on their respective paths of modernization, making greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

As the newly appointed Consul General of China in Karachi, it is my sacred mission to expand comprehensive cooperation and exchanges with the consular district and deepen China-Pakistan friendship. We hope to achieve new progress in the following areas:

First,we will promote high-quality development of CPEC in our consular district. The commercial operation of key projects such as the K3 nuclear power plant and the Thar Coalfield Block 1 and 2 power plants has greatly improved Pakistan's power supply. Both sides need to continue their efforts to ensure that the projects of the CPEC can generate more direct and extensive economic and social benefits. Currently, both China and Pakistan are actively promoting the early implementation of the upgradation and renovation project of the Main Line 1 railway, and have agreed to actively promote the Karachi Circular Railway(KCR) project. We will make every effort to maintain close communication with all parties and strive to achieve new achievements in the above-mentioned areas.

As the flagship project of the CPEC, the Gwadar Port has shown vigorous vitality after 10 years of operation by the Chinese side. The Gwadar East Bay Expressway has been completed and opened to traffic, and the Vocational and Technical Training Center has been handed over to the Pakistani side. The Gwadar New International Airport and the Friendship Hospital will be completed and delivered this year. Shortly after taking office, I visited Gwadar and was impressed by its development achievements. Recently, the Government of Balochistan Province has granted Gwadar Port the status of a free trade district, providing new opportunities for the development of Gwadar. We hope that both sides will work together to build Gwadar Port into a high-quality port, a regional trade center, and an inter-connectivity hub.

Second, we will continue to broaden the scope of cooperation and continuously enhance cooperation in industries, agriculture, science and technology, education, and people's livelihood. We are committed to promoting more Chinese companies to actively participate in the development and construction of Sindh Province and Balochistan Province, making greater contributions to the economic development, improvement of people's livelihoods, and infrastructure construction in the consular district. China will also strive to expand the import of quality products from Pakistani and promote balanced development of bilateral trade. It is understood that TECNO Mobile and its Pakistani partner's TTE factory can assemble up to 6 million smartphones annually; Chaoyang Longmarch Tyre and Pakistani Service Company's joint tire factory has produced 430,000 sets of tires in one year, with an output value of over 13 million US dollars. Recently, Pakistani seafood was transported by land along the CPEC from Karachi to Kashgar, Xinjiang, for the first time. In response to the severe flooding disaster last year, China has sent disaster reduction expert teams and medical expert teams to the affected areas to actively study response plans. Chinese companies have actively carried out cooperation in chili peppers and canola in Sindh Province and recently donated a batch of hybrid rice seeds to Balochistan Province. The achievements mentioned above are the result of close cooperation between China and various sectors in Pakistan. We welcome more Pakistani business people to China to seek cooperation opportunities and actively participate in various exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and China Import and Export Fair. The Consulate General of China in Karachi will provide necessary facilitation for Pakistani friends to engage in business activities in China.

Third, we will vigorously promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In the past few years, cultural exchange and cooperation between China and the consular district have been affected to some extent by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are actively planning relevant visiting and exchange programs. At the end of this month, a journalists' delegation led by the KEC will visit China. Through the lenses and words of media friends, I hope to enhance the understanding and knowledge of people from all walks of life in the consular district about China. We welcome more young students from Pakistan to study in China, and we hope that they will make greater contributions to the economic and social development of Pakistan after they finish their studies and return to their motherland. We will continue to support the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi, providing convenient conditions for more Pakistani students to learn Chinese, encouraging them to actively participate in competitions such as the "Chinese Bridge," and strive to become inheritors of the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, pioneers of cultural exchanges between the two countries, and practitioners of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends,

The door of the Consulate General of China in Karachi is always open to friends from all walks of life in Pakistan. I welcome all of you to visit the Consulate General, strengthen the "iron-clad" friendship between China and Pakistan, and promote friendly cooperation.

Long live China-Pakistan friendship.

Thank you all.