Pakistaniofficial:friendshipandcooperationwithChinaarealwaysthefirstchoice_GuangmingOnlineQaiserAhmedSheikh,ChairmanoftheNationalAssembly’sStandingCommitteeonFinanceRevenue,emphasizedthesignificanceofthe72ndanniversaryofdiplomaticrelationsandthe10thanniversaryoftheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC).Inanexclusiveinterview,hepraisedCPECasasuccessfulcooperationmodelthathassignificantlycontributedtoPakistan’seconomicdevelopmentandstrengthenedbilateralties.SheikhsaidhehaswitnessedthecontinuousdevelopmentanddeepeningofPakistan-Chinafriendshipformorethanhalfacentury,bothwhenhewasyounginbusinessandafterhebecameapoliticianinhismiddleage.“Chinesefriendscallus‘IronPartner’,asfriendlyneighborsandironbuddies,PakistanandChinaenjoymutualbenefitsandwin-wincooperation.”SheikhacknowledgedtheindustriousnatureoftheChinesepeople,attributingdevelopmentandprosperitytotheirhardwork.HenotedChina’ssignificantroleintheinternationalarena,particularlyitsnotableeconomicachievementsoverthepastfewdecades.SheikhhighlightedChina’sroleintheSaudi-Iranianreconciliationearlierintheyearasatestamenttoitsgrowingimportanceontheglobalstage.DiscussingthefutureprospectsoftheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC)andthetrajectoryofPakistan-Chinarelations,SheikhhighlightedhisextensiveexperiencewithChinaspanningover50visitsin51yearsinhiscapacityofabusinessmanandlaterapolitician.HavingwitnessedChina’sdevelopmentfirsthand,especiallyduringthetransformativedecadesofreformandopeningup,Sheikhunderscoredtheremarkableprogressmadeinthepasttenyearsthroughthecollaborationonthecorridor,foreseeingcontinuedadvancementanddeepeningcooperation.HealsoexpressedoptimismthattheongoingcooperationwouldprovidefurtheropportunitiesforChinesecapitalandenterprisesinPakistan’sevolvingeconomiclandscape.SheikhexpressedconfidenceintheenduringandhealthydevelopmentofPakistan-Chinarelations.HeemphasizedthatwhilePakistanaimstofosterfriendlyandcooperativetieswithallnations,maintaininganddeepeningfriendshipandcooperationwithChinawillremainPakistan’stoppriorityregardlessofwhichpoliticalpartycomestopower.SheikhunderscoredthattheunbreakablefriendshipbetweenPakistanandChinaisnotcontingentonthepassageoftimeorchangesinotherfactors—itremainssteadfast.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.