The 2021 Forum on Cooperation between China and Pakistan Friendship Provinces and Cities (the Forum), co-sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Embassy of Pakistan in China, was successfully held in Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on December, 9 both online and offline. Zhang Chunxian, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, attended the Forum and delivered a keynote speech. Qasim Khan Suri, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, delivered a video speech. Speeches were also given by Lin Songtian, President of the CPAFFC, offline, Khalid Mansour, Minister of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Affairs, and Moin Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China, online.

About 240 people attended the Forum online and offline, including Sha Zukang, President of China-Pakistan Friendship Association, Hua Chunying, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, senior officials from five provinces and 12 cities of Pakistan, senior officials from 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and 24 prefecture-level cities of China, directors of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association, delegates from the All Pakistan-China Friendship Association, and representatives from enterprises and media of the two countries. Lin Yi, Vice President of the CPAFFC, presided over the Forum. Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office (NXFAO) and Punjab, Ningxia’s international friendship city, also participated in the Forum. Focusing on the theme of “Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development”, Bai Yuzhen, Deputy Director-General of NXFAO, and other participants reached broad consensus on building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future and agreed to release The Joint Declaration Between China and Pakistan on Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development. 

Ningxia and Punjab were tied as international friendship cities in 2006 and have since launched pragmatic cooperation in personnel training, culture, tourism and emergency management. Their friendship was epitomized by the joint efforts in COVID-19 prevention and control, exchange students programs and other activities including Drive through the Silk Road-from China, Arab to Pakistan. Giving full play to the Forum, NXFAO will step up its efforts in advancing win-win cooperation with Pakistan in economy, trade, science and technology, education and people-to-people exchanges, so as to make contribution to forging stronger friendship between the two peoples and promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.