On July 29, 2024, Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, led a delegation of eight members from the embassy to visit the Pakistan Study Centre, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University (PSC Fudan). During the visit, they engaged in a discussion with experts and scholars from the Academia of international relations in Shanghai.
Before the discussion, Fudan University's Vice President, Prof. Chen Zhimin, engaged in an in-depth communication with Ambassador Khalil Hashmi and his delegation. Prof. Chen Zhimin first extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Hashmi and highly commended the longstanding friendship between China and Pakistan. He emphasized that Fudan University has always valued its exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan in higher education. In response to a call from the Embassy of Pakistan in China, Fudan University established the Pakistan Study Centre in 2009. Over the years, with support from the university and the Institute of International Studies, the PSC Fudan has hosted numerous international and domestic conferences on China-Pakistani relations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Particularly in 2017, facilitated by the PSC Fudan's initial efforts, the university actively cooperated with the China Association of Higher Education to establish Exchange Mechanism of CPEC Consortium of Universities, in conjunction with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, with the Chinese secretariat based at Fudan. Furthermore, Fudan has repeatedly invited former Pakistani politicians, diplomats, generals and renowned scholars to the Shanghai Forum to share their profound insights. Fudan University has also educated many Pakistani students, and the Fudan Development Institute and PSC Fudan have frequently hosted visits from Pakistani experts and scholars, making significant contributions to Sino-Pakistani cultural exchanges.
Ambassador Hashmi expressed his gratitude for the warm reception at Fudan University and praised the university's significant role in Sino-Pakistani cooperation. He noted that the collaboration between China and Pakistan in education, science and technology, and culture is increasingly close, bringing tangible benefits for the peoples of both nations. Especially under the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the two countries have achieved remarkable success in infrastructure, energy cooperation, and economic and trade development. He looked forward to engaging in more high-quality cooperative projects with Fudan University in academic and cultural exchanges, and to further promoting the relationship between the two countries.
Following the meeting, Ambassador Hashmi and his delegation held a roundtable discussion with experts and scholars from Fudan University and other institutions. The discussion was chaired by the Director of the PSC Fudan, Zhang Jiegen. In his keynote speech, Ambassador Hashmi not only retrospected the deep traditional friendship and extensive cooperation between China and Pakistan, but also analyzed the current international situation’s impact on Sino-Pakistani cooperation from an international perspective. He emphasized that in the face of a complex and variable international environment, China and Pakistan should strengthen strategic communication, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
The roundtable discussion then moved into a lively discussion session. Participants discussed topics such as Sino-Pakistani economic and security cooperation, and cultural exchanges. Scholars analyzed the potential for cooperation in counter-terrorism and maritime security between the two countries in the regional security framework. They also incorporated the latest dynamics of Chinese foreign policy in the periphery areas and Pakistan's domestic politics, economy, and society, offering suggestions for deepening Sino-Pakistani cooperation. Ambassador Hashmi highly appreciated the experts' remarks and expressed his intention to seriously consider and promote the implementation of the cooperation suggestions. He thanked Fudan University and the attending experts for their valuable opinions and suggestions on Sino-Pakistani cooperation and looked forward to more such exchanges in the future to promote deeper cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
The successful host of this roundtable discussion not only provided new ideas and directions for cooperation between China and Pakistan in the fields of international relations and regional country studies but also injected new vitality into the continuous healthy development of bilateral relations. The attending experts and scholars expressed their continued interest and support for Sino-Pakistani cooperation, committing to contribute their wisdom and strength to promote the ongoing development of relations between the two countries.
