Pakistan Ambassador Khalil Hashmi Bids Farewell in Beijing, Hails Enduring Pakistan-China Ties
Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, marked the end of his posting with a farewell reception at the Pakistan House in Beijing on September 9, 2026. He expressed gratitude to Chinese friends and colleagues, highlighting the enduring friendship and expanding cooperation between Pakistan and China.
The reception brought together Chinese officials, diplomats, members of the Pakistani community, media representatives, business leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps, reflecting the broad network of people-to-people and institutional ties between the two nations.
Reflecting on his nearly 34-month tenure in China, Hashmi shared that his extensive travels across the country provided a deeper understanding of China’s development experience and its approach to international cooperation. He noted:
"That gave me some insight, and I think I learned a few things, which helped me better understand initiatives centered on shared development, security, and civilization."
Hashmi expressed deep admiration for China’s development wisdom and long-term thinking. During his tenure, efforts were made to broaden Pakistan-China engagement beyond government-to-government relations, emphasizing business-to-business and people-to-people exchanges.
He highlighted initiatives such as a Pakistan-China fashion show at the Great Wall, cultural concerts, mango festivals, and a Pakistan food festival in Chengdu, describing them as platforms to bring the people and cultures of the two countries closer.
"We were able to achieve many things on the business-to-business level and also people-to-people," Hashmi stated.
He also noted the establishment of four new Pakistan Studies Centers in China—in Shenzhen, Shandong, Liaoning, and Hangzhou—as platforms to promote mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation in areas like education, research, trade, investment, and business.
"These are great platforms to promote Pakistan-China friendship, understanding, and more and more business, investment, and trade," he said.
Hashmi further pointed to efforts to deepen subnational cooperation, including the sister-province relationship between Pakistan’s Punjab Province and China’s Zhejiang Province, as well as new ties involving Liaoning and Hunan.
