BEIJING: Terming youths of Pakistan and China as torchbearers, the Pakistani ambassador in Beijing expressed the hope that they would take forward the 60-year-old legacy of the friendship between the two countries.

Addressing a reception for the 100-member delegation on Thursday at the Pakistan Embassy, Masood Khan said China had always been a trusted friend and a supporter of Pakistan in need of time.

The two states declared 2015 as the year of friendship for which a number of events had been planned and a Chinese youth delegation would visit Pakistan next year, he said.

China is extending support in various fields, particularly the energy sector, he said. The Pakistan-China economic corridor would change the fortune of the masses, he said, adding work in its different segments was in an advanced stage.

The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and the Pakistani Mission in Beijing are trying to attract investment, both in public and private sectors, he said.