China Seeks Deeper Cooperation with South Punjab as CPEC Enters New Phase
LAHORE: Chinese Consul General in Lahore Sun Yan has called for deeper cooperation with South Punjab in agriculture, industry, education and healthcare, saying the region’s natural resources and substantial market potential offer significant opportunities for bilateral engagement.
Mr Sun made the remarks during a three-day visit to Multan, where he met Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Fuad Hashim Rabbani and received briefings from senior officials on agriculture, livestock, healthcare and education. He also visited agricultural institutions and held meetings with university officials, faculty members and students.
During his meeting with Mr Rabbani, the Chinese consul general said China was willing to strengthen communication with the South Punjab Secretariat, implement the consensus reached by the leadership of Pakistan and China and advance the “2.0 upgraded version” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He called for greater practical cooperation in agriculture, industry, education and healthcare and urged both sides to undertake more “small but beautiful” livelihood projects to ensure that bilateral cooperation delivered tangible benefits to local communities.
Education remained a key focus of Mr Sun’s visit. He attended a ceremony at the Romanza PC Hotel Multan for the distribution of school kits among deserving children from South Punjab.
He said the initiative reflected China’s priority given to education and quoted Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as saying, “Education is a matter of life and death to our nation.”
Mr Sun described the donation as a practical step towards implementing the consensus between the two countries’ leadership and promoting people-centred livelihood projects. He expressed hope that the school supplies would help children continue their studies with confidence and pursue their aspirations.
He said the initiative was also aligned with the people-centred approach under President Xi Jinping’s global initiatives.
Referring to President Xi’s meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in May, Mr Sun said the Chinese president had stressed advancing the action plan for building a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, coordinating major projects with livelihood initiatives and deepening cooperation in areas including talent development.
He also referred to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent visit to China and her emphasis on strengthening people-to-people ties between Punjab and China.
Mr Sun cited vocational skills training, language laboratories and medical equipment provided to healthcare facilities in Punjab as examples of cooperation aimed at improving people’s daily lives.
He said extending the benefits of bilateral cooperation from major cities to less developed villages and towns could help narrow the development gap between northern and southern parts of the province.
At Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Mr Sun attended a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations and highlighted the importance of agricultural cooperation and talent development as CPEC entered a new phase of high-quality development.
He urged students to strengthen their expertise in agriculture and learn about Chinese culture, saying young people could serve as inheritors of Pakistan-China friendship and future builders of CPEC.
Mr Sun also visited the South Punjab Agriculture Department, Mango Research Institute and Model Agriculture Mall, where he exchanged views with agricultural officials and experts on expanding cooperation.
Discussions focused on South Punjab’s agricultural potential and opportunities for stronger links between Pakistani and Chinese institutions, researchers and experts.
At Multan University of Science & Technology, the Chinese envoy met Chairman Dr Muhammad Arshad and faculty members and discussed higher education and institutional cooperation.
The engagements brought together government officials, agricultural experts, researchers and academics to explore cooperation in agriculture, livestock, healthcare, education, skills development and CPEC.
‘Ironclad, all-weather friendship’
Mr Sun repeatedly linked his regional engagements to the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, describing the bilateral relationship as an “ironclad, all-weather friendship.”
He said agricultural cooperation and talent development had assumed greater importance as CPEC entered a new phase, while stressing that strategic cooperation should be complemented by projects that directly improve people’s lives.
The consul general also linked the school-kit initiative to President Xi’s vision of a community with a shared future for humanity and his Global Governance Initiative, saying practical, people-centred projects could give tangible meaning to these broader principles.
“Every small act we have done here today is a vivid footnote to the greater story of China-Pakistan friendship,” he said.
Mr Sun urged both sides to continue working together to extend education, healthcare and skills training to more families and ensure that the benefits of bilateral cooperation reached communities beyond major urban centres.
His Multan visit highlighted agriculture, education, human resource development and grassroots livelihood initiatives as key areas for expanding China-South Punjab cooperation as Pakistan and China enter the next phase of their 75-year diplomatic relationship.
