A six-member delegation from the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) visited the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI) on April 19, and held an in-depth discussion on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The Chinese delegation was led by Mr. Guo Yezhou, Vice Minister of IDCPC. Other members included were: Ms. Sun Haiyan, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Public Information and Communication, Mr. Yuan Ruidong, Director, Bureau of South and Southeast Asian Affairs, Ms. Xu Xu, Director, China Center for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS), Mr. Zhou Rongshui, Second Secretary, and Ms. Nie Shengquan, Interpreter, CCCWS.
The meeting was chaired by the Amb. (Retd.) Khalid Mehmood, Chairman, ISSI. Welcoming the delegation, he lauded the friendship between Pakistan and China.
Director General, ISSI, Mr. Masood Khan, in his opening remarks, reiterated the importance of the bilateral relationship between the two countries and elaborated on the dynamics of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Mr. Guo Yezhou said that China and Pakistan are making joint efforts to promote peace, stability and development in the region. Both would also continue to make efforts to fight the menace of terrorism. He said that relations would be further strengthened during the visit of President Xi Jinping. He freely interacted with the researchers, pointing out that the CPEC is an integral part of the Chinese flagship ‘One Belt and One Road’ initiative based on strengthening of three pillars of development in Pakistan – energy, infrastructure and industry.
The researchers at the Institute highlighted the strong ties between the two countries and conveyed their warm greetings to the President of China, emphasizing the need to increase the frequency of visits by youth delegations and enhance people-to-people contacts in the year of friendly exchanges between China and Pakistan.
A.R. Malik/042115
