Picture Sichuan and Pakistan
An Interview with Mudassir Tipu, the Consul General of Pakistan in Chengdu
In the already enthusiastic spring, there are many visitors in Chengdu Jinli folklore ancient street, a Pakistan photo exhibition "brings" Pakistan here. The beautiful scenery in the picture contrasts with the verdant environment around it, and one picture after another tells the story of the friendship between Pakistan and Sichuan. The photo exhibition attracted a lot of people to stop and watch.
Mudassir Tipu, consul general of Pakistan in Chengdu, said the photo exhibition was held to strengthen cultural ties between China and Pakistan, as well as people-to-people exchanges between Sichuan and Pakistan. Jinli is a very famous scenic spot in Sichuan, and it is also a paradise for tourists. Through the exhibition, Chinese and foreign tourists can learn about the close ties between Sichuan and Pakistan.
The exhibition was held in the Sichuan Provincial Library in the early stage of the exhibition. The Consul General expressed that such activities would promote the development of Pakistan's tourism industry. China is a big source of Pakistani tourists, through this exhibition, people can first learn about Pakistani culture. "We have seen the support of the Sichuan government and the audience like this exhibition, and we have also felt Sichuan's friendship with Pakistan."
In this exhibition, the Consulate General selected the most beautiful natural and human scenery representing different provinces of Pakistan, as well as valuable moments of friendly exchanges between Chinese and Pakistani leaders and symbols of Sino-Pakistani cooperation. These are testimony to the close relations between China and Pakistan.
Friendly exchange
Along the exhibition line, a beautiful and culturally rich Pakistan is unfolding in front of us. At the Faisal Mosque in the exhibition, this landmark building at the foot of Mount Magara is eye-catching: a white marble facade, a unique polygon shape, and four towering minarets, surrounded by four towering minarets, a blend of traditional and modern architectural styles. Faisal Mosque is the national mosque of Pakistan, located in the capital of Pakistan, the beautiful garden city of Islamabad. The consul general said this was the place he most wanted to recommend to the people of Sichuan.
The Badshahi Mosque, built of red marble, is located in Lahore, Pakistan, a cultural city in eastern Pakistan. Lahore is also an international friendly city of Chengdu. In our country, "Pakistan iron" is often used to refer to Pakistan, which is used to describe the friendship between Pakistan and China. The friendly exchanges between Sichuan and Pakistan have a long history. Both the government and the people have established a profound friendship in their long-term exchanges. As early as 2006, Sichuan Province and Punjab Province formally established friendly inter-provincial relations; in April 2015, Chengdu and Lahore officially became international friendly cities. The consul general said he hoped to promote more Sichuan cities and Pakistani cities to conclude friendly city relationship.
It is under the impetus of the friendship between Sichuan and Pakistan that many Pakistani students choose China and come to Sichuan. At the same time, more and more tourists from Sichuan to Pakistan, "the Consulate General issued a lot of visas every day." said the Consul General.
In-depth cooperation
In May 2013, Prime Minister Li Keqiang visited Pakistan and proposed the construction of a "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between China and Pakistan in the fields of transportation, energy and oceans, strengthen connectivity between the two countries, and promote common development. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is also the flagship project of "Belt and Road Initiative", which serves the vision of win-win cooperation and development in the whole region as an important part of the project. So far, great progress has been made in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. As a milestone in China-Pakistan cooperation, Gwadar Port is the most important part of the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and will become a regional transit hub and a regional economic center. "Sichuan goods can be transshipped to the Middle East through this port".
The Consul General praised the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as "a great project" and "Sichuan is a very important region for Pakistan". The consul general said: at present, many Chinese people live in Pakistan, and there are also many enterprises in Sichuan in Pakistan, which have been invested in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including Dongfang Electric, China Electric Power Construction, Sichuan Geological Corporation, and so on.
With the advancement of "Belt and Road Initiative" and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the people-to-people, economic and trade exchanges between China and Pakistan have been further strengthened, and new vitality has also been injected into the common development of Sichuan and Pakistan.
The Consul General revealed that in 2018, imports and exports from the southwest and Pakistan reached US $932 million; Pakistan imported a lot of products from Sichuan, and "made in Sichuan" is very popular in Pakistan. Welcome Sichuan enterprises to invest in Pakistan. In addition, in August 2018, The China-Pakistan Federation of Industry and Commerce and the halal Food Commission of the Sichuan International Chamber of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at the Consulate General on the Co-Construction of the Chengdu-Pakistan Economic and Trade Promotion Center, which means that Chengdu and Pakistan. The economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has entered a new process.
The Pakistan Research Center is another important link between Sichuan and Pakistan. The consul general said that there are Pakistani research centers at Sichuan University and Sichuan normal University, which have set up a platform for academic exchanges and economic cooperation between Sichuan and Pakistan.
In addition, through the exhibition, visitors can also learn about JF17, which is a witness to the profound friendship between China and Pakistan, an aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan in Chengdu on the basis of decades of mutual work and research.
Come to Sichuan Go to Pakistan
At the exhibition, we see images from Pakistan, valleys, autumn, traditional culture. Nature and humanity reflect the unique charm of Pakistan. The consul general said that Sichuan is also such a place.
The Consul General is committed to promoting exchanges in the field of tourism between Sichuan and Pakistan. Pointing to a picture of the exhibition, he said that a delegation of major tourism operators in Sichuan Province, under his leadership, entered Pakistan through Khunjerab Pass. He briefed the delegation on the route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and tourism in Pakistan.
The Consul General himself is also a Sichuan fan who likes to explore and discover. He worked at the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing, at that time he was fascinated by Sichuan, especially its human history. Since joining Chengdu in October 2017, consul general's footprints have been left in many parts of Sichuan, including Nanchong, Dujiangyan, Leshan and E'mei Mountain. When he learned that the ancient Chinese people could dig stone statues such as the Leshan Buddha, he marveled: "huge projects must take a lot of painstaking efforts, very much admire such skills and people's persistence."Jin Li street is a place that the Consul General is very familiar with. He came here many times to visit those handicraft shops to learn about the history of China and Sichuan. When it comes to life in Sichuan, the consul general appreciates it. For places he has not yet visited, he is full of yearning and said he would visit the beautiful Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in the near future.
In May, the Consulate General will hold the Pakistan Food Festival in Chengdu and the Pakistan Culture week in September. The consul general said he hoped to use such activities to bring the people of Sichuan closer to Pakistan. He also revealed that he has a good wish to introduce Pakistani restaurants in Tai Koo Li, one of Chengdu's new landmarks, to bring Pakistani food culture to the "gourmet city".