PEKING: China and Pakistan tonight [Nov 11] reiterated their firm faith in their continued mutual friendship and debunked … all kinds of wishful speculations in interested quarters raising doubts in this regard.

Welcoming President Yahya Khan to a banquet given in his honour tonight, Vice-Chairman, Mr Tung Piwu, declared, “Although some people are displeased with the continuous development of Sino-Pakistan friendly relations and are even sowing dissension, we firmly believe that … they will not succeed in their attempt.”

In his reply, the President reiterated that “It is our conviction that the future of Sino-Pakistan friendship rests on firm foundations and its continuing development is to the advantage of both China and Pakistan as well as to peace and stability in the region.” The Chinese Vice-Chairman further declared that “Our Pakistani friends may rest assured that the Chinese people will always stand together with you and remain your reliable friends in your struggle to defend national independence and oppose foreign aggression.”

He was sure that President Yahya Khan’s visit to China “will certainly make new contributions to the further consolidation and development of the friendly relations between our two countries.”

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2020