Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong Takes Media Interview on China’s Development Opportunities and Ethnic Unity and Progress
On September 22, Ambassador Jiang Zaidong attended the National Day reception hosted by the Chinese communities in Pakistan. During the event, he answered questions from Pakistan Television (PTV, English), Hum TV (Urdu), and Xinhua News Agency on China’s economic situation and development opportunities, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and Chinese people at home and abroad working together to build the Chinese Dream. The key points are as follows:
Syed, PTV: On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, we extend our warmest congratulations to our brotherly Chinese people. We are particularly delighted to see the remarkable achievements China has made. Against the backdrop of a general global economic downturn, China’s economy has stood out as a bright spot, offering rare markets and opportunities to countries around the world. May we invite Your Excellency the Ambassador to share some insights with our viewers? As China’s ironclad friend, we hope and trust that Pakistan will be able to benefit from these achievements.
Thank you for your warm congratulations on China’s National Day and for your highly appreciative remarks on China’s development achievements. As you have said, over the past 77 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China and through the unremitting efforts of the Chinese people, we have made remarkable achievements and accomplished the great historic leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we have won the battle against poverty, completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, continued to write new chapters in the two miracles of sustained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and advanced the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into an irreversible historical process.
This year has seen a good start to China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. In the first half of the year, GDP grew by 4.7 percent year on year, with an incremental increase of 3.6 trillion yuan, marking the highest level for the same period in the past five years. Just in August, China’s production continued to accelerate and upgrade. The value added of equipment manufacturing rose by 12.1 percent year on year, with high-tech manufacturing growing by 16.7 percent. The value added of Lithium-ion batteries and industrial robots increased by 57.2 percent and 34.6 percent respectively. Foreign trade also maintained strong growth. In August, the total value of goods imports and exports grew by 19.8 percent year on year, 0.6 percentage points faster than the previous month, with exports up 18.6 percent and imports up 21.7 percent. Viewed from the first eight months as a whole, exports grew by 14.6 percent and imports by 22 percent, with import growth consistently outpacing export growth. China has thus become a veritable major global market and a source of new development opportunities.
Of course, this does not represent the full picture of China’s economy, but it does reflect, from one perspective, the overall momentum of steady progress and improvement in quality and structure. Although the adverse impact of the external environment continues to deepen and domestic supply-demand imbalances persist, given the current growth trend and the underlying trend of future development, we have every reason to believe that China’s economy will continue to move toward higher quality, better structure and stronger momentum. We are certainly pleased that you have described China’s economic development as “stood out as a bright spot,” while we hope even more for common development among all countries of the world. As President Xi Jinping has pointed out, “The Chinese people not only hope to live better lives themselves, but also wish other peoples to live better lives.” “On the road to modernization, no one and no country should be left behind.” You can rest assured that we will continue to provide more opportunities to the world through the achievements of Chinese modernization, and in particular, better benefit our ironclad friend Pakistan by focusing on three key areas — agriculture, industry, and mining — to accelerate the building of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0, and work hand in hand to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
Samroo, Hum TV: Thank you for your explanation, Your Excellency. In your reception remarks, you noted that China’s development results from the united efforts of all ethnic groups under CPC leadership. Many overseas Chinese in Pakistan are from Xinjiang, and “Xinjiang is a good place” is a household phrase in Pakistan. As a multi-ethnic country, strengthening ethnic unity is vital to our stability and development. Could Your Excellency further introduce China’s practices and experience in this regard for mutual learning?
Thank you for your attention to China’s ethnic unity efforts and Xinjiang’s development. As ironclad friends, we are certainly ready to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with Pakistan in all fields. President Xi Jinping stated, “We have relied on the united efforts of all ethnic groups across the country to create great achievements that will go down in history, and we must also rely on such united efforts to write new chapters of glory.” Coincidentally, from yesterday to the 27th marks the first Ethnic Unity and Progress Publicity Week following the implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, themed “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, Forging Ahead on the Journey of Great Rejuvenation,” with concentrated publicity and education activities on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation across the country. Our exchange today is therefore particularly timely.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping has not only provided important expositions on the major original assertion of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, but has also repeatedly engaged with people of all ethnic groups, listened to their voices, discussed development in ethnic regions, and promoted this sense of community to take root in people’s hearts. President Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of “targeted poverty alleviation” in Shibadong Village, Hunan; called for “all ethnic groups to cling tightly together like pomegranate seeds” at a “multi-ethnic family” with four generations under one roof in Inner Mongolia; and warmly told fellow villagers in Guizhou that “the Chinese nation is a big family, with 56 ethnic groups being 56 flowers.” Under President Xi Jinping’s care and commitment, all ethnic groups in China have become as close as family, pursuing development together. From 2020 to 2025, the total GDP of China’s five autonomous regions grew from 6.01 trillion yuan to 8.66 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth of 5.5%, truly achieving improved livelihoods and better lives.
As you noted, many overseas Chinese in Pakistan have roots in Xinjiang. Today’s Xinjiang stands as a vivid epitome of China’s new chapters in the two miracles. We sincerely thank Pakistani media friends for their support and promotion of Xinjiang’s development, making “Xinjiang is a good place” a household phrase. Notably, following President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Xinjiang last September, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif also made her first visit to Xinjiang last month, both highly praising Xinjiang’s development achievements and vitality. I would like to share that Xinjiang’s vivid practice of social stability, economic prosperity, and people living and working in peace teach us that unity is strength, and only through unity can we achieve victory. No matter how many ethnic groups or regions a country has, as long as everyone works together with one heart, it can gather development momentum and create a better life. We believe that all political parties and sectors of Pakistani society will surely gather the strength of unity to better promote national development and achieve people’s well-being.
Yang Kai, Xinhua News Agency: This year marks the 77th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. As you said, under the CPC’s strong leadership, our country has achieved the great leap from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, filling Chinese people at home and abroad with pride. How do you think overseas Chinese and Chinese compatriots in Pakistan can leverage their strengths to contribute to national rejuvenation and enhance China-Pakistan friendship?
First, I thank our news organizations for their steadfast presence in Pakistan. Indeed, jointly building the Chinese Dream requires not only the united efforts of all ethnic groups, but also the common endeavor of Chinese people at home and abroad. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Our reform, opening-up, development and construction endeavors are inseparable from the large number of overseas Chinese who care deeply for their hometowns and motherland.” Specifically in Pakistan, over the years, overseas Chinese have served as people-to-people envoys of China-Pakistan friendship, enthusiastically supporting the development of the motherland and actively promoting economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Chinese enterprise employees, as the main force of China-Pakistan practical cooperation, have advanced the high quality development of CPEC, consolidating the foundation of China-Pakistan all-weather friendship with tangible cooperation results. Media friends, as a vital force in international communication, have told the story of China-Pakistan cooperation from multiple perspectives, effectively promoting mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples. Young students, as successors of bilateral friendship, perceive diverse cultures from a youthful perspective, contributing to exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Islamic civilizations. We are deeply moved and appreciative of these contributions.
General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, “The united and unified Chinese nation is the common root of Chinese people at home and abroad; the extensive and profound Chinese culture is the common soul of Chinese people at home and abroad; and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the common dream of Chinese people at home and abroad.” We hope and trust that Chinese compatriots in Pakistan will bear in mind the General Secretary’s important expositions and earnest expectations, cultivate deep love for family and country, care for the development of the motherland, consciously safeguard national interests, leverage their advantage in connecting China and foreign countries to tap cooperation potential, and create more cooperation outcomes that benefit both peoples. Meanwhile, we hope everyone will strictly maintain security, exercise self-discipline in words and deeds, abide by local laws and regulations, respect local customs and habits, demonstrate a good spirit, and present a China that is credible, appealing, and respectable. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan will always keep our original aspiration and mission in mind, practice people-centered diplomacy, and provide dedicated services and support for all. Together, we will make new contributions to advance the great cause of building a great country and advance national rejuvenation, and write a new chapter in deepening China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperation.
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