A friendship that transcends time and borders

Few relationships in the history of international relations have endured so long as that between Pakistan and China and even fewer have been described as "higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans". This description of the all-weather friendship is not just rhetoric; it is based on shared principles and interests, and forms the foundation of cooperation in diverse fields.

Since the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan in 2015 and the launching of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, economic and cultural activities between the two countries have increased manifold.

Although bilateral diplomatic ties were established in 1951, cultural and historical relations date back to almost 2,000 years. In the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Chinese monk Xuanzang travelled westward to seek the Buddhist Sutra, and his book Great Tang Records on the Western Regions mentions the names of areas which are now in Pakistan, and is a testament to his fond memory of the land and the people of those areas.