I vividly recall the day in 2020 when I received the news of my appointment as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, which was indeed an honour and a privilege. At that point, while I truly understood the significance of my assignment in a country with which Pakistan undoubtedly has her most consequential bilateral relationship, I could barely fathom the enormity of the task or the extent of the special experience awaiting me in China.

On arrival, I was set on a journey that was both rewarding and fulfilling in terms of my humble contributions to strengthening our bilateral relationship; it was also a great learning experience not only gaining insight into world’s greatest and oldest civilization, but also providing me an opportunity to witness the modern miracle of China’s economic rise.

On a personal level, I could feel the intensity of our close friendship and the special love and affection the people of Pakistan enjoy in China. Everywhere, I was greeted with the nickname ‘Batie’, an expression reserved for Pakistanis alone. It was so touching and heart-warming.

The China-Pakistan friendship is a historic reality and a conscious choice that our two peoples have made, while also being underpinned by political support, strategic partnership and practical cooperation. It transcends the traditional precepts of inter-state relations; it is unaffected by vicissitudes of time, and this time-tested relationship is the pride of our two nations and the envy of others.

During my almost three years in China, I have made an effort to study and learn from China’s experiences and achievements as it continues to develop. To this end, I have travelled to different provinces, cities, villages, projects, factories, and cultural sites across the country. I met political leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars, researchers, and farmers, and I have given over 200 interviews. Over this period, during my visits to over 40 cities and countless interactions, I was privileged to have received such an outpouring of respect and affection. I also consider myself fortunate to be in China at this momentous time in its history and learn from the ‘China Miracle’, Here I would like to share some key lessons learnt and how they can be applied to China-Pakistan bilateral cooperation now and in future.

The Road to ‘Win–Win Cooperation’ Can Be Paved by Building a Shared Community of Mankind

As China marches ahead towards a brighter future, ancient Chinese philosophy continues to play a vital role in the country’s development strategy. The application of the concept of tiānxià, which translates as “land under heaven” and refers to the whole world, promoting diversity, while emphasizing harmonious and mutual inter-dependence as means for enduring peace, can be seen in domestic socio-economic policies, China’s inclusive growth, and the quest for common prosperity.

Externally it is manifested through President Xi Jinping’s vision for building a Shared Community of Mankind through the landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which he unveiled ten years ago. Subsequently, the launch of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) have further crystallized the concept of a ‘Shared Community’.

Being China’s strategic partner, Pakistan has naturally endorsed all President Xi Jinping’s key initiatives. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a shining example of the BRI’s promise of economic prosperity and connectivity. It has transformed the economic landscape of Pakistan, upgrading physical infrastructure, ensuring energy security, creating jobs, and uplifting the lives of the masses.

Pakistan is also a pioneering member of the GDI Group of Friends and has played an active role in giving it a more concrete shape. China has committed US$ 4 billion and, in partnership with UN, will carry out projects in areas of education, health, climate change, and poverty reduction, thus making meaningful contributions to achieving the SDGs in a timely manner. As the first priority partner under GDI, Pakistan stands ready to benefit from this cooperation.

Pakistan has also supported the GSI and its adherence to the UN Charter and principles of multilateralism and non-interference in internal affairs. Having suffered for a long time due to unresolved disputes, conflicts, and terrorism, we also advocate dialogue and constructive engagement based on mutual respect for ensuring regional peace in South Asia.

The GCI is another landmark and timely initiative, promoting respect for diversity, peaceful co-existence, mutual learning, and inclusiveness. In a world marred with discord and divisiveness, a dialogue between civilizations can be a means to peace and reconciliation. Pakistan and China are united through centuries of cultural exchange and people-to-people contacts. Ancient Chinese monks who traversed the Silk Road brought back with them not only wisdom of ancient civilizations, but also a sense of togetherness and friendship that has endured to this day.

Constant Evaluation and Rethinking to Further Strengthen the Basics

There is a famous Chinese idiom that “the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher”.Footnote 1 This adage very aptly reflects the resilience and adaptability of the Chinese governing model and developmental philosophy. Each of China’s leaders, while retaining the spirit of the Communist Party of China and the key messages of their predecessors, have brought with them a fresh perspective to China’s development philosophy. From “Mao Zedong Thought” to Deng Xiaoping’s “Reform and Opening Up”, Jiang Zemin’s “Three Represents”, Hu Jintao’s “Scientific Outlook on Development” to now President Xi Jinping’s “Thoughts on Governance” and “Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation”, the call for a “Chinese path to modernization” and the journey to build a “Shared Community of Mankind”—Chinese theory and practice has always adjusted and adapted to changing times, the prevalent regional and global landscape and China’s own developmental realities.

Soon after the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China, Pakistan and China established formal diplomatic relations. The foundation of our friendship was laid down under the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai and nurtured by successive generations of leaders in both countries. We remain undeterred by the vicissitudes of time and geopolitical upheavals, maintaining a steady and sure upward momentum. Most recently our relationship was elevated to an ‘All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’ during President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to China in April 2015.

Having the privilege of serving as Chief of State Protocol during the historic visit of President Xi, it was heartening to see our time-tested ties transformed into a more comprehensive, concrete and practical partnership. With the launch of CPEC, economic cooperation has now taken the centre stage, and there is a growing focus in areas of infrastructure, energy, industry, agriculture, health, and IT.

Later when I came to China to serve as Ambassador, I was proud to contribute to CPEC’s evolution into a high-quality development project. Recently, we added a new element to the CPEC with the launch of sector-specific corridors: China-Pakistan Digital, Green, Industrial and Health Corridors. While we have kept the fundamental spirit of our bilateral friendship intact, we have also strived to keep evolving and upgrading our relationship based on our shared interests and the needs of our people.

Security Is an All-Encompassing Concept

In today’s world, national security is not just about having a strong military, rather it is a holistic concept transcending traditional security paradigms and encompassing essential elements of economic, human, energy, and food security.

This approach to national security is manifested in China’s long-term vision and people-centric policies focusing primarily on socio-economic development. Through carefully crafted development plans, China has upgraded its infrastructure, expanded its manufacturing base, modernized agriculture, promoted research and innovation, developed new technologies, and prioritized capacity-building. A series of Special Economic Zones and industrial parks were built where local and foreign companies produced goods that were then supplied to the entire world.

This made China the world’s leading manufacturer, enabling it to sustain an economic growth rate of nearly 9% over a period of four decades. Never before in human history has a nation achieved such high growth and in such a short period of time. Many Chinese friends have shared their pride with me in seeing this transformation in their lifetime.

Given the strategic nature of China’s relationship with Pakistan, economic security has also taken centre stage in our bilateral relations. Learning from Chinese experiences, Pakistan is also setting up new industries, building special economic zones, modernizing agriculture, enhancing its export base, and focusing on skills development among its youth. Under the framework of the CPEC, cooperation in these areas is being intensified, which will surely bring economic dividends, create new jobs, improve livelihoods, and promote regional trade and connectivity.

Success Will Be Achieved Through a Knowledge-Based Economy

A key aspect of the Chinese developmental model is the steady evolution from a primarily labour-intensive industrial/manufacturing economy serving as world’s factory to a knowledge-based economy, with a focus on research, innovation, smart technologies, and high-quality developmental strategies.

This shift did not take place overnight, but was a result of a long-term vision under the “Four Modernizations”Footnote 2 where science and technology were identified as one of the core areas for high-quality development. China has now overtaken the U.S. as the world’s leading researcher with the largest number of patents. Its total expenditure for R&D was a whopping US$ 456 billion in 2022. It has also become a key player in cutting-edge technologies like AI, robotics, cloud computing, and big data.

In Pakistan, we too are focusing on science and technology, and digital governance. We also have a demographic advantage, with 60% of our population consisting of youth who are tech-savvy, enterprising and drawn towards innovative fields.

Science and technology and IT exchanges now also form a key component of our bilateral relationship with China. Two specialized joint working groups have been established under CPEC, focusing on ICT and science and technology cooperation. Last year, we launched the China–Pakistan Digital Corridor to focus on deepening bilateral cooperation in emerging technologies as well as the joint development of high-quality digital infrastructure and hi-tech industrial zones and parks.

There is also an increasing interest from the private sector and academia in both countries to strengthen institutional linkages. During my recent visit to Guangdong Province, I was pleased to learn about the ongoing collaboration between Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the Guangzhou Institute of Software Application Technology (GZIS) for the development of an AI lab in Pakistan. Last year, a dedicated science and technology cooperation centre was also established in collaboration with the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) of Pakistan and the Zhongguancun Belt and Road Industrial Promotion Association (ZBRA) of China for Chinese technology companies interested in investing in Pakistan.

We are also focusing on enhancing linkages in education and skill development among Pakistani youth, with China being the largest overseas destination for Pakistani students. Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is being emphasized to train Pakistani youth and the existing workforce to upgrade their skills in new and emerging technologies. The recently launched China–Pakistan International Industry Education Alliance Initiative in Beijing and our growing partnership with Chinese TVET institutions will further harness the potential of youth to contribute towards national development of our two countries.

Harmony Between Man and Nature

The age-old Chinese concept of “harmonious co-existence of man and nature”Footnote 3 has become the guiding principle for achieving balance. President Xi once said “man and nature need to coexist in harmony - when we protect nature carefully, it rewards us generously; when we exploit nature ruthlessly, it punishes us without mercy.”

In my visits to various Chinese regions, I was fascinated to see the focus of local governments on environmental protection, ecological conservation, and biodiversity management. Everywhere, I saw President Xi’s iconic words “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” put into real practice. This has also become a key component of China’s new development strategy, resulting in nationwide projects, focusing on restoring forests, combating desertification, pollution control, preserving wetlands, and protecting wildlife. This has resulted in a marked increase in the quality of air, water, and overall living conditions.

In addition, there is a conscious effort to reduce China’s carbon footprint by adopting green technologies and solutions and transitioning to clean energy. China is slowly but surely inching towards achieving its targets of carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

In Pakistan, environmental protection has assumed added importance given our vulnerability to climate change. It is ironic that despite having one of the smallest carbon footprints, Pakistan is one of the most affected countries, as evidenced by the devastating floods of last year.

Together, China and Pakistan are working bilaterally and multilaterally to combat the scourge of climate change. In our developmental partnership, we are also encouraging use of clean energy and green technologies. The solarization initiative of Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif aims to produce 10,000 MW of solar energy in the next 5–10 years.

As part of our cooperation in agriculture, we are also promoting cooperation to increase efficiency of land and water resources, develop new seeds, and increase forest cover. The CPEC and our partnership under the GDI covers cooperation in these key areas.

Further building upon our mutual interest in proactive actions to prevent climate change and related multi-sectoral impacts, particularly on agriculture, our two countries recently launched the China–Pakistan Green Corridor, which covers cooperation in areas such as corporate farming, enhancing crop yields, new seed development, food conservation, cold chains, smart irrigation, pollution, tree plantation, and as well as climate-induced emergencies and disasters.

Concluding Remarks

Many people outside China lack a true appreciation of China’s rich history, traditions, diverse culture, governing structure, and stellar economic growth. Many may have developed misconceived notions and perhaps also formed a misguided understandings due to biased and politicized media reports.

Seeing is believing. It is only be being in China that you can get first-hand knowledge of China’s development story. The extent and magnitude of development is on a different scale, one which you cannot help but marvel at and admire. From maintaining an average 9% growth rate over the last forty years to bringing 800 million people out of absolute poverty, from being the top trading partner of over 120 countries to being home to over one million foreign companies, from building the world’s largest high-speed network of 38,000 km to becoming a global leader in electric vehicles, from boasting 24 cities with a GDP over one trillion yuan to being home to 56 UNESCO world heritage sites, from building the world’s largest e-commerce platform to constructing the largest number of skyscrapers, China’s mind-boggling journey of development leaves some people in awe, some places in envy or while there are others who remain in disbelief, but it is indeed inspiring, especially for us in the developing world.

Firmly intertwined by historical and geographical linkages, Pakistan and China not only have mutual interests and shared aspirations but also a shared outlook for global peace and development. Over time, the depth, scope and spectrum of China–Pakistan cooperation has become so comprehensive that it cannot be summarized in only a few pages.

Ever since my arrival in Beijing, I have steered and spearheaded this relationship as Ambassador, which has only reinforced my faith in the timeless and time-tested nature of our relationship. Now I can say with conviction that ours is truly ‘all-weather’ and ‘strategic’ partnership, which I am confident will grow stronger with time and achieve even greater heights. We owe this to the sweat and toil of our forefathers as well as the efforts of successive generations of leaders and people. We pledge to pass on the spirit of friendship and goodwill to our youth and forge a relationship, which in Chinese is truly 独一无二 (dúyī-wú'èr)—unparalleled and one of a kind.