At the invitation of Lt-General(R) Javed Hasan, Principal of the Pakistan Administrative Staff College (PASC), H.E. Mr. Zhang Chunxiang, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, made a special trip to Lahore and delivered a speech on May 2nd, 2005, titled China's Development and the Prospects of Pak-China Relations in the New Era at the college. Around 50 director-general level officials from the Foreign Office of Pakistan, Pakistani missions abroad, federal and provincial departments currently under training at the College attended the function.
As a cradle for the future leadership, PASC has cultivated many elite talents for the construction and development of Pakistan and enjoys high reputation in Pakistan. Ambassador Zhang Chunxiang introduced China's rapid economic and social progress in recent years and explained in details China's Foreign Policy of "building good-neighborly relationships and partnerships" and China's policy towards South Asia. Citing his more than 20 years of experience working in Pakistan, he reviewed the development process of Sino-Pak relations for the 54 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also proposed suggestions to promote Sino-Pak cooperation for mutual benefit, with reference to the recent visit to Pakistan by H.E. Mr. Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
After the speech, Ambassador answered various questions from the audience on China's reform and opening up, China's economic policy after its accession to WTO and China-India-Pakistan triangle relations. Ambassador Zhang's speech, with substantial information but in very simple words, has made the audience very much impressed. Many of them thanked the sincere help and friendly sentiments of China towards Pakistan and expressed the views that they learned much about the great China through the speech, that Pakistan should learn more from China on its approaches to face up to the opportunities and challenges given the changing world scenario, that Pak-China strategic partnership should be further enhanced.
