Luo Zhaohui
Ambassador
The People's Republic of China to Pakistan

Today is the 58th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. On this auspicious occasion, please allow me to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government and people, our highest consideration and most cordial greetings to the friendly Pakistan Government and people. Since the solemn declaration of Chairman Mao Zedong on the formal establishment of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st, 1949, my great country with a long history has started getting her rejuvenation and consistently kept progressing in spite of external vicissitudes and internal difficulties.
Especially since the initiation of the reform and opening up to the outside world, the Chinese Government and people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, have made unremitting efforts and scored tremendous and sustainable achievements in state building as well as people’s well-being. The Chinese Government has now put forward the theory of scientific development, which is well known as the theory of “harmonious society”, as the guideline for China’s overall social and economic development, emphasizing the construction of socialist harmonious society as its top priority. I am fully confident, under the guidance of this theory, the prospect of China will be brighter than ever.
According to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2006 was a year during which China’s national economy grew rapidly in an all-round way. China's gross domestic product increased by 10.7 % over the year before, reaching 20.9407 trillion yuan (US$2.792 trillion), and ranking the fourth in the world and consistently the first in the developing countries in terms of total economic volume. China also had a trade surplus of US$177.5 billion in 2006. The export was US$969.1 billion, up 27.2% year-on-year, while the import was US$791.6 billion, a rise of 20%. Foreign exchange reserves by the year end amounted to US$1.0663 trillion, an increase of US$247.3 billion compared with the beginning of the year.
In the first half of this year, China’s GDP totaled at 10676.8 billion yuan, increased by 0.5% over the same period of last year. The total import and export volume reached US$980.9 billion, 23.3% higher over the corresponding period of last year. The trade surplus was US$112.5 billion. The per capita disposable income of urban residents was 7,052 yuan, 14.2% higher than that in the same period of last year.
China and Pakistan are close neighbors linked by common rivers and mountains. Our friendship can be dated back to ancient times. Pakistan is also the only country with which we have the kind of relationship termed as all-weather friendship and all-dimensional cooperation. Our friendship has withstood various tests and been deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. We have always been sympathizing, understanding and supporting each other and become friends and brothers sharing weal and woe. The history has proved that it is our common pursuit of peace and development that has firmly bound our two countries together.
2006 has seen the exchange of top-level visits between China and Pakistan. H.E. President Hu Jintao paid a historical state visit to Pakistan in November, 2006. In 2007, H.E. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan has paid another fruitful visit to China. Chinese Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Li Zhaoxing and his Pakistani counterpart, H.E. Mr. M. Khurshid Kasuri, have also accomplished their mutual visits. Due to frequent exchanges of high-level visits, our friendship has been growing substantively and reached from one height to another. The formal operation of Gwadar Port, the successful pose-striking of JF-17, the exchange of visits by 100 young people from both countries and the startup of the Agreement of Sino-Pak Free Trade Zone symbolized only a few fresh milestones on the road of our bilateral cooperation forward.
The Chinese Government and people cherish the traditional friendship between our two nations. It is a set policy of the Chinese Government to further consolidate and develop the friendly relations and cooperation with Pakistan. I am confident that, under the joint efforts of our two leaderships and peoples, the Sino-Pak relations will continue to keep pace with time, embody the spirit of the era and reach a higher level. Though I served as Chinese Ambassador in this brotherly country for only seven months, I have been deeply touched by the friendship of the Pakistani Government and people from all walks of life toward China. I would like to keep on working together with the Pakistani side to bring the all-weather Sino-Pakistan friendship into a brand-new and beautiful future.

Chin-Pak Doosti Zindabad!