On July 7, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech entitled "Step up the Efforts to Build a Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era" at the opening session of the Conference on China-Pakistan at 70 via video link.

Wang Yi extended sincere greetings and heartfelt appreciation to friends from all sectors of the two countries for their long-standing support for the China-Pakistan friendship. Wang Yi said, history is a mirror, and helps us observe the present and look far into the future. China and Pakistan are equal friends who understand and respect each other, friends in need who share weal and woe, devoted friends of integrity, and friends for moral justice who shoulder responsibilities together. Seventy years of progress through thick and thin between China and Pakistan have forged a unique iron-clad friendship, rock-firm political mutual trust, and most valuable strategic asset.

Wang Yi emphasized, the world is brought into a period of profound transformation. As all-weather strategic cooperative partners, the two countries more than ever need to step up the efforts to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era. First, we should enhance strategic communication, and maintain high-level interactions and exchanges to provide timely strategic guidance for the development of the bilateral relationship. Second, we should join hands together to defeat COVID-19, and oppose vaccine nationalism and political manipulation of international cooperation on COVID-19 origin-tracing. China will continue to give top priority to Pakistan in its anti-pandemic cooperation. Third, we should steadily advance China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), give priority to cooperation in industry, agriculture and people's livelihood, and make the CPEC a fine example of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Fourth, we should join hands in safeguarding regional peace, support the parties in Afghanistan in seeking a political solution through dialogue, effectively contain spillover of Afghanistan's security risks, and ensure overall stability in the region. Fifth, we should practice true multilateralism, and step up cooperation on international affairs. Together, we should champion the common values of mankind of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. We should together oppose creating exclusive and confrontational blocs, and oppose the attempts to force other countries to choose sides. We should together uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law.

Wang Yi said, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important speech at the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He comprehensively reviewed the glorious 100 years of struggle of the CPC and the remarkable accomplishments of the Chinese people rallied and led by the CPC, and solemnly announced that China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability. Prime Minister Imran Khan and many Pakistani friends from various sectors have extended their warm felicitation in different ways. We deeply appreciate this. China will advocate peace, development, and win-win cooperation, and continue to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order. We will endeavor to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind, and provide the world with new opportunities through China's new development progress.

Noting that Pakistan is an all-weather strategic cooperative partner and iron-clad friend of China, Wang Yi said, China genuinely wishes Pakistan greater unity, stability, development and strength. This serves the fundamental interests of the Pakistani people. It is also the best wishes of the Chinese people and conducive to peace, stability and sustained prosperity of the region and beyond. No matter how the world may change, China will stand shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan, and firmly support Pakistan in upholding its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in finding a development path suited to its national conditions, and in attaining the great vision of a Naya Pakistan.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi noted in his speech delivered at the opening session, this year is of special historical significance to the Pakistani and Chinese people because it marks not only the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China, but also the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, to which the Pakistani side offers warm congratulations. Friendly exchanges between Pakistan and China go back a long way. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have forged a deep and firm iron-clad friendship, and engaged in an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. Both sides have been understanding and trusting each other, and staunchly supporting each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, Pakistan and China have supported each other and joined hands in fighting the virus, further cementing the iron-clad friendship.

Qureshi said, Pakistan is willing to work with China to deepen the joint contributions to the Belt and Road Initiative, advance the high-quality development of the CPEC, and strengthen cooperation in industrial parks, agriculture, and people's livelihood, etc., so as to turn Pakistan into a hub of regional economic cooperation and connectivity. Together with China, Pakistan is willing to cooperate further in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, give a push to the all-round development of Pakistan-China relations, and jointly safeguard peace, stability, development and prosperity of the region and the world at large.

The Conference on Pakistan-China at 70, organized by the Pakistan-China Institute, a famous think tank in Pakistan, is being held in Islamabad on July 7 to 8, 2021, and attended by friendly personnel from all walks of life of China and Pakistan, including experts and scholars.