Published on: September 1, 2025 2:48 AM
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s government was pursuing policies that closely aligned with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of progress and prosperity, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
Addressing students and faculty at Tianjin University on Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision has shown that “prosperity and progress can only be achieved through teamwork and shared progress, and not through exclusive rights.” He added that Pakistan fully supports Xi’s outlook.
Shehbaz urged Pakistani students in China to embrace modern knowledge and technology “with sheer commitment and hard work” and to return home to serve their country. He expressed satisfaction that more than 200 students from different regions of Pakistan were currently enrolled at Tianjin University, calling them “ambassadors of Pakistan”.
“It is an opportunity for you to be in a country and in such a university which is regarded as a cradle of great learning. Owing to your hard work, dedication and commitment, you would return to Pakistan as architects for its future,” he told the students. “Above all, you are the torch bearers of Pakistan-China friendship.”
Shehbaz highlighted that youth make up over 60 per cent of Pakistan’s population. Unlocking this potential, he said, was central to Islamabad’s partnership with Beijing.
On agricultural cooperation, the prime minister said 1,000 Pakistani graduates are being sent to China to learn modern techniques.
Reflecting on the history of Pakistan-China relations, he said the friendship dated back to the Silk Road, when traders and monks carried goods and ideas across mountains and deserts. “They are as profound as Gandhara, where Buddhist art and learning travelled from Taxila to Shanghai and to Beijing,” he said.
Sharif recalled milestones in the relationship, noting Pakistan was the first Muslim-majority country to recognise China. The Karakoram Highway, he said, was one of China’s earliest and boldest infrastructure projects with a foreign partner. He also pointed out that Pakistan’s leader was the last foreign guest to be received by Chairman Mao Zedong.
Earlier, during a visit to the National Earthquake Simulation Center at Tianjin University, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan was keen to benefit from Chinese expertise to adopt “effective preventive measures and strategies” to better cope with natural calamities .
The prime minister lauded China’s use of advanced technologies in disaster management, saying such methods “will prove extremely beneficial for Pakistan in dealing with natural disasters”.
Existing initiatives in Pakistan, including the International Medical Center and the China-Pakistan Joint Lab, should be made more effective, he stressed as he called for expanding bilateral cooperation in disaster preparedness.
Separately, PM Sharif and President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reviewed the current state of Pakistan-Turkiye relations and expressed satisfaction over the growing momentum in bilateral ties.
They noted with appreciation the steady increase in high-level exchanges and cooperation across a broad spectrum, including political, economic, defence, and security domains.
The Turkish President offered sincere condolences over the loss of precious lives and property as a result of the ongoing floods across various parts of Pakistan.
The two sides exchanged views on key regional and international developments.
They expressed grave concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirmed their shared commitment to using international platforms to advocate for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and to condemn the ongoing Israeli aggression and genocidal policies.
The meeting reaffirmed the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and underscored their shared resolve to further strengthen cooperation for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Muslim world and beyond.
