On September 25, a donation ceremony titled “Chinese People for Pakistani Brothers and Sisters” was held in Beijing by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China-Pakistan Friendship Association and the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development to help with Pakistan’s flood relief efforts. About 100 people attended the donation ceremony, including Lin Songtian, President of the CPAFFC, Sha Zukang, President of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association, Moin ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China, representatives of major donors, diplomats from the Pakistani Embassy in China and journalists from China and other countries. Bai Yuzhen, Director-General of Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office and Executive Vice President of the Ningxia People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, delivered a video speech on behalf of Ningxia.

Briefing the attendees on the main purpose, overall situation and great significance of the donation, Lin Songtian noted that China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, have forged ironclad brotherhood which is not only deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples, but also has withstood the test of changes in the global landscape as well as in their own countries. The relations have become even closer over time, setting a fine example in the whole world.

Sha Zukang said that the donation is extremely significant as it is a vivid proof of the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan. The two sides have always provided support and assistance to each other, especially in trying times. The Chinese will never forget the firm support given by Pakistan on issues concerning China’s core interests and surely will lend a helping hand promptly when Pakistan encounters difficulties. In a world with profound changes unseen in a century, strengthening the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan is vital for regional peace and stability, which also helps promote world peace and development.

The donation organized by the CPAFFC was strongly supported by China’s regional governments. Representatives from nine provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government), namely Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality, Shaanxi Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Henan Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Chongqing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality and Liaoning Province, delivered offline or video speeches.

Bai Yuzhen extended her sympathy and best wishes to the Pakistani people in her speech, believing that the Pakistani people will overcome the disaster at an early date and rebuild their beautiful homes. She also expressed Ningxia’s readiness to deepen friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan by prioritizing the high-quality development of international friendship city relations, making greater contributions to building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Ningxia and Pakistan’s Punjab Province were tied as international friendship cities in 2006 and have since then carried out a series of exchanges and cooperation. In the face of the outbreak of Covid-19, Ningxia and Pakistan stood firmly together and assisted each other, writing a beautiful story of mutual support in trying times. This donation once again shows the unbreakable friendship between China and Pakistan, laying a solid foundation for further promoting people-to-people bonds and bringing the relations of the two sides to new heights.