ISLAMABAD:Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said on Monday that Pakistan remained committed to further strengthening its partnership with China to sustain political engagement, institutional cooperation and exchanges among political parties, contributing to peace, stability and prosperity for people of both countries and the region.
Speaking at a symposium on China’s President Xi Jinping’s “Thought on Party Building” and China-Pakistan seminar on governance, he said today’s event provided an important opportunity to reflect on role of political parties in governance, institutional building and national development and further deepening of party to party exchanges between Pakistan and China.
“We acknowledge and commend the intellectual contribution of President Xi Jinping and his thought on party building and the experience of the Communist Party of China in translating his principles into effective governance and tangible development outcomes,” he added.
He said, “The convening of the symposium reflects the depth of political understanding and strategic trust that underpin Pakistan and China relationship while reaffirming our shared commitment to learn from each other’s experiences and advancing our common aspirations.”
He said one over arching lesson from today’s conversation was that visionary leadership was indispensable for national unity, institutional stability and sustainable development.
Under the sagacious leadership of President Xi Jinping the Communist Party of China has accelerated China’s journey of rejuvenation, he said adding the phenomenal progress of China was driven by the unwavering commitment of CPC to the party discipline, organizational capacity, combatting of corruption and people centered governance.
He said that through sustained policy efforts, China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, making a historic contribution to global poverty alleviation.
“China has successfully achieved its first goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all its aspects. It is now advancing its second goal of building a great modern country. China’s experience offers invaluable best practices and shows how farsighted leadership sets long-term national priorities, mobilises collective effort and turns priorities into tangible benefits for the betterment of the people,” he remarked.
He said for Pakistan, exchanging governance experience with China was part of a longstanding win-win partnership, adding that cooperation in leadership development, institutional strengthening and effective governance helped advance shared goals of stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
He said Pakistan took significant strides towards economic self-reliance and stabilization.
“We are moving towards economic consolidation; our gains are anchored in governance reforms including macroeconomic discipline, institutional modernization, digital tax administration and simplified regulation,” he noted.
He said this year held special significance for the two countries as Pakistan and China were celebrating the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and the Communist Party of China was commemorating the 105th founding anniversary.
“Over the past 75 years, relationship of Pakistan and China has grown into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership founded on mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual support,” he added.
He said a powerful impetus for this relationship came from the broad-based political consensus in Pakistan in support of ties with China.
“Our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership reflects recognition across our political spectrum that Pakistan-China partnership is a vital strategic asset for our country. The world has witnessed that Pakistan-China friendship and partnership continues to serve as a steadfast source of peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he observed.
He said, “On 31st of March this year, during my one-day visit to Beijing on the invitation of the Foreign Minister of China, Pakistan and China jointly launched the five-point peace initiative for restoring peace in the Middle East. Later President Xi’s four-point proposal for the Middle East marked a significant expression for China’s philosophy for promoting comprehensive, common and indivisible security.”
“President Xi’s landmark global initiative has also underscored China’s persistent commitment to advancing fairness, justice and equity in the international governance architecture. These initiatives exemplify China’s commitment to the interests of developing countries and the global South. The International Department of CPC has been our key partner in nurturing Pakistan-China friendship through its sustained engagement with the political parties of Pakistan,” he informed.
Ishaq Dar said the China Pakistan Political Parties Forum and the CPEC Political Parties Joint Mechanism continue to provide valuable platforms for sustained dialogue, political cooperation and exchange of experiences between our two great countries.
“Our engagement underscores an important dimension of Pakistan-China relationship. The recent meetings through these forums reaffirm the importance of political engagement in advancing our shared objectives. At these meetings, Pakistan proposed five political corridors to promote political dialogue, governance cooperation, youth engagement, people-to-people exchanges and regional cooperation. Political parties and institutions play a vital role in building consensus and ensuring policy continuity and facilitating implementation,” he added.
He appreciated cooperation among the parliamentary institutions and said the cooperation among think tanks, universities and training institutions should expand.
Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), elaborated on the political ideology and concepts of China’s President Xi Jinping.
He said it was important to understand Communist Party of China to gain insights about today’s China and the country’s governance structure.
The governance system of China was founded on a strong political party, he added.
He expressed satisfaction that Pakistan and China have completed 75 years of their diplomatic relations.
Senator Sherry Rehman, in her remarks, shed light on the importance of political parties for the development, progress and prosperity of a country.