Pakistan-China relations have evolved into a strong strategic partnership, driven by mutual trust, non-interference, and shared geopolitical interests, with economic and technological cooperation serving as key drivers of Pakistan’s future socio-economic transformation. In a bid to reap the benefits of this partnership, Pakistan needs a policy shift that transforms dependence into interdependence and invests in strengthening governance, human capital, and institutional professionalism.
This was discussed during a seminar titled “Pakistan-China Relations at 75: Advancing Multidimensional Partnership for Regional Stability and Shared Prosperity,” held at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad. The speakers at the session, which celebrated the platinum jubilee of Pakistan-China relations, included Amb (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, vice-chairman IPS; former ambassadors to China Amb (r) Salman Bashir, former foreign secretary and session chair, Amb (r) Masood Khalid, Amb (r) Naghmana Hashmi, and Amb (r) Moin ul Haque; and Dr. Syed Muhammad Ali, a defense and strategic affairs expert.
In the opening remarks, Amb Abrar Hussain said that Pakistan-China relations have evolved substantially since the establishment of bilateral ties in May 1951. He emphasized that the Pakistan-China partnership has now entered a new phase with continued cooperation under both phases of CPEC, demonstrating the growing engagement between the two countries.
Amb Masood Khalid noted that Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to recognize the People’s Republic of China. Emphasizing that the bilateral relationship is based on mutual trust, shared interests, and non-interference, he said that Pakistan-China friendship has unconditionally withstood multiple regional and global challenges over decades.
While noting that the two countries oppose regional hegemony and support peace, he nullified attempts to portray Pakistan-China relations as a strategic alignment against any third country. Highlighting the changing global order, he said that China has emerged as a stabilizing actor that advocates cooperation, development, and peace. Regarding this, he termed CPEC as the central pillar of Pakistan’s geoeconomic future and argued that it could help transform Pakistan into a prominent economy within the next decade.
Building on this, Amb Naghmana Hashmi emphasized the need to transform the existing strategic cooperation into a long-term and future-oriented relationship. She suggested reorienting CPEC towards industrialization and special economic zones, expanding cooperation with China in AI and green technologies, utilizing rare earth minerals, operationalizing ML-1 for connectivity, and leveraging Gwadar port’s geostrategic significance, especially in the context of current regional developments.
In light of this, while highlighting key imperatives for Pakistan, she stressed considering trade deficits as a national security concern, improving mechanisms for project implementation, diversifying relations with nations without undermining ties with China, honing indigenous expertise, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.
Amb Moin ul Haque described Pakistan-China friendship as a “historic reality and conscious choice” of the two nations. He stated that Pakistan’s economic and security future is closely linked to China, and that Pakistan should capitalize on bilateral trade and economic opportunities with Beijing. Sharing his experiences, he noted that Pakistan can learn from China’s development model, which emphasizes state-led reforms, openness to foreign investment, provincial empowerment, investments in education, healthcare, and technology. Additionally, Chinese societal values of hard work, merit, and discipline also play a constructive role in the country’s rise.
Dr. Muhammad Ali highlighted China’s critical contribution to Pakistan’s national power and South Asian strategic stability. He noted that China has consistently supported Pakistan unconditionally and played an important role in maintaining the South Asian balance of power. Referring to defense cooperation, he highlighted that behind Pakistan’s indigenous military capabilities, technological cooperation with China played a pivotal role.
Discussing the May 2025 India-Pakistan military stand-off, he noted that modern Chinese defense technology demonstrated significant operational effectiveness. He also underlined the significance of Chinese-assisted civilian nuclear energy projects, which can help address Pakistan’s energy problems.
Giving the chair remarks, Ambassador Salman Bashir stressed that Pakistan-China relations go beyond conventional frameworks of international relations. This is because, as opposed to Western transaction-driven models, China takes a long-term civilizational approach in its relations with Pakistan, grounded in shared history and mutual understanding.
