Pakistan's Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi has described the friendship between the two countries as "a consistent source of peace, development and stability in South Asia and beyond".

In his speech delivered at the World Peace Forum 2024, held in Beijing from Friday to Sunday, Hashmi took note of the special and unique China-Pakistan relationship built on the sentiments of mutual respect, equality and good neighborliness, and for calls for a cooperative, harmonious and mutual beneficial relationships among the South Asian nations as well.

Underscoring the link between sustainable development and peace, the ambassador commended China's Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative for providing a comprehensive framework to promote dialogue and cooperation among nations, including those in South Asia.

Hashmi thanked China for supporting the development journey of Pakistan through critical investments under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, made at a time when Pakistan needed them the most.

Appreciating the ongoing efforts to build a China-Pakistan community with a shared Future, Hashmi called CPEC a modern-day manifestation of the ancient Silk Road that connected China and South Asia, facilitating people-to-people and trade linkages.

The ambassador also called for instilling new life in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation with a forward-looking approach driven by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.