ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, on Sunday inaugurated the ‘Esthetic Bridges’ project and said Beijing would work with Islamabad to promote mutual exchanges between, and learning of, Chinese and Islamic civilizations, state media reported on Sunday.
The Esthetic Bridges exhibition celebrates artistic collaboration between China and Pakistan and aims to foster deeper artistic and cultural dialogue.
Chinese investment and financial support for longtime ally Pakistan since 2013 under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of infrastructure and energy projects, among others, has been a boon for the South Asian nation’s struggling economy. The two countries have had close ties underpinned by long-standing wariness of their common neighbor, India, and a desire to hedge against US influence across the region.
“We are ready to work with Pakistan to implement this important initiative, appreciating the beauty of each other and sharing it together, to promote the exchange and mutual learning of Chinese and Islamic civilizations,” Pakistani state news agency APP quoted Jiang as saying as he addressed the inauguration ceremony for the Esthetic Bridges exhibition at the Silk Road Culture Center, a space dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in Pakistan and cultural exchanges with China.
“President Xi Jinping attaches great importance and actively advocates for exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, proposing the Global Civilization Initiative to make the world’s garden of civilizations flourish with color and vitality, reflecting a profound sense of care and responsibility for the whole world,” Jiang added.
Pakistan was the first Islamic country to recognize the People’s Republic of China, with the two establishing diplomatic relations in 1951.
“This ironclad friendship has taken root, flourished, and will surely be passed down through generations and remain steady and enduring,” Jiang added.
