PCI hosts Welcome dinner for new Chinese Ambassador H.E. Sun Weidong
Date : June 29, 2013
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In yet another effort to bring the peoples of Pakistan and China closer together, the Pakistan- China Institute hosted a dinner in honour of the Ambassador of China, His Excellency Sun Weidong and Madame. In addition to members of the Chinese mission in Islamabad, invited guests included representatives of the Chinese corporate sector, the Pakistani business leaders, the Chinese media, opinion leaders, and representatives of academia.
The evening commenced with a welcome address by the Chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. He emphasized the strategic importance of Pakistan China relations, the strength of their bilateral ties, and asserted that the peaceful rise of China was a source of strength and stability for countries like Pakistan, South Asia and Asia as a whole. “Pakistan and China have a friction free relationship,” he stated, “despite differences in size and social systems, because we have a commitment to principles, based on peaceful coexistence, non-interference, and mutuality of interests. China has supported us through good times and bad times and we have also reciprocated that sentiment. The Pakistan- China friendship has now achieved a different level.” He welcomed the recent announcement of an Economic Corridor between the two countries, made by Premier Li Keqiang, during his visit to Pakistan last month. Senator Mushahid Hussain referred to first visit to China as a teenager in 1970, and since then, following over 40 visits, he had witnessed the remarkable transformation of China.
This was followed by a short presentation which showcased the efforts and achievements of the Pakistan-China Institute, especially it's emergence in a short period as the principal non-governmental platform for promoting people-to-people ties between the two countries in different areas. As the presentation ended, Senator Mushahid Hussain invited Ambassador Sun Weidong to say a few words.
The Ambassador began by saying that though he had a speech prepared, he would not be using it, not just for the purpose of brevity, but because he wanted to speak from the heart. Expressing his pleasure to be Pakistan, he spoke of the depth and resilience of the bilateral relationship and touched upon the fact that he was China’s 16th Ambassador to Pakistan. He stressed on the need to further this friendship and cooperation, to add momentum to it, and to pass on the ‘torch of friendship’ to coming generations, in the same way as it had been passed to him. The dream of Pakistan, he said, was to become one of the Asian tigers, and he felt that China shared the same dream. He ended by saying that he had only been in Pakistan for 15 days, and even though it was his first time in the country it was as if he had come back home. He emphasized that there were so many moving stories of friendship between the people of Pakistan and China that these should come to the forefront and be highlighted. The Ambassador was then presented with a shield by Senator Mushahid Hussain for his decade of efforts towards strengthening ties between the two countries.
Ambassador Sun Weidong is no stranger to Pakistan or the region. He first visited Pakistan in 2004, he served as Political Counsellor in India and he handled the region from his position in the Asian Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. He also visited Pakistan in 2012 with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Yang Jiechi, who is now promoted to State Councillor. At the dinner, Ambassador Sun Weidong welcomed the opportunity to meet a cross-section of people, including some old friends of China who first visited that brotherly neighbour in the 1960s. At 47, he is one of the youngest Chinese Ambassadors to Pakistan. Both he and his wife are fluent English speakers, and started their careers as teachers."
