Excellency Mr. Wang Yubo, Governor of Yunnan Province,
Excellency Mr. Wu Jianghao, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs of China,
Excellencies, distinguished friends and colleagues from China and South Asian countries,

It is an honour to represent Pakistan at the 3rd China-South Asia Cooperation Forum. I commend China’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce and the Yunnan People’s Provincial Government for this important initiative and welcome the resumption of the China-South Asia Cooperation Forum after a two-year hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Situated at the crossroads of Central, West and East Asia, Pakistan is first and foremost a South Asian country. We are proud of our historical legacy as a land-bridge connecting this dynamic region with the rest of the world.

It was to and through modern-day Pakistan that the ancient Chinese monks Fa Xian and Xuan Zang travelled in search of wisdom. It was across the majestic Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains and down the fertile Indus River valley and the Punjab’s green-gold plains that our forebears brought exotic goods from far-away lands. And as they travelled they brought with them knowledge and wisdom. This cross pollination of knowledge enriched both countries.

As in the past, today Pakistan is also ready and uniquely positioned to work for the win-win partnership for mutual benefits and prosperity of our peoples and the region.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

For far too long, the peoples of our countries have been deprived the fruits of development and economic integration. South Asia remains amongst the least connected regions of the world, and this is reflected in our shared challenges of poverty, disease and strife. Our region has great potential for win-win partnership, mutual benefit and coordinated development. Recent challenges like the pandemic and disruption of diplomatic channels have demonstrated the importance of partnership.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visionary the Belt and Road Initiative is an excellence example of regional cooperation. Its flagship, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, has revolutionized connectivity in our part of the world. From the upgraded Karakoram Highway at the Pakistan-China border in Khunjerab to the deep-sea port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, we have broken new ground and upgraded centuries-old trade routes.

Having entered a new stage of higher-quality development, CPEC is poised to transform the economic landscape of Pakistan and the broader region. As an open and inclusive platform, Pakistan is ready to work with friends and partners from all over the world, and especially in own region, to join us in win-win opportunities for development and prosperity. We are also ready to extend CPEC to Afghanistan to assist reconstruction and bring development to the war-torn country. This will also help materialize the Central Asian countries’ long-cherished goal of greater connectivity with the world.

We would also like to deepen bilateral trade, tourism and cooperation in agriculture, industry, IT, and science and technology. This way we can unleash the dynamism of the region.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Pakistan is ready to do its part to break the mould and unleash the dynamism of our peoples. We call for the peaceful and just resolution of outstanding disputes so that our region can move towards a brighter future. It is Pakistan’s sincere hope that the peoples of our region would be able to attain their rightful aspirations.

Pakistan suffered from the worst flooding in history. This climate change-caused catastrophe of unprecedented scale has underscored the urgency of international cooperation and collective action. The Government and people of Pakistan will never forget the generous assistance rendered by our time-tested Chinese friends and indeed our brothers and sisters in South Asia. Like Pakistan, South Asian countries are no strangers to the reality of human-induced climate change and the overriding imperative of mutual assistance for shared regional development. Home to nearly half the world’s population, it is essential for China and South Asia to lead; setting examples of South-South cooperation.

In this worthy pursuit, Pakistan will continue to be a reliable and steadfast partner of all.

Thank you.