Friends in need and in deed for 70 years

Seventy years ago, on May 21, 1951, when Pakistan and China established diplomatic relations, very few people could have imagined that the customary move would lay the foundation for an extraordinary bilateral relationship.

Pakistan was one of the first non-communist countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic at a time when the world was divided into communist and anti-communist blocs. It was also a time when, in the regional context, the foundation of the friendship between India and China was being laid.

Due to frequent contacts and increasing trust between the successive leaders of Pakistan and China, even in the midst of fast changing regional and global situations, Sino-Pakistani relations were not limited to customary diplomatic affairs. Despite following two very different governance systems, the affinity and trust between the two countries only became deeper. There is no doubt that apart from benefiting the two sides, this deep-rooted relationship has also helped maintain regional balance, peace and stability.