Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the economic and cultural relationships between Pakistan and China were rapidly growing due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

In a message on global observance of the Chinese language as one of the largest dialects for communication, he said that a “sufficient number of Pakistanis” were learning the Chinese language, cementing ties between the people of the two countries.

The United Nations (UN) observes the UN Chinese Language Day every year on April 20 to highlight the contribution of Chinese literature, poetry and language to world culture.

The Prime Minister said that steps were being taken at the official and public sector levels to promote the Chinese language and literature so that the people-to-people contacts between the two countries could be further strengthened, the premier’s office media wing said in a press release.

“Today was the observance of the Chinese language as the global language,” he said, adding that the dialect had been an exponent of centuries-old Chinese culture.

In the last few decades, China had been proving its mettle in economic prosperity besides, adding that the Chinese language and culture had been becoming popular across the globe, he said.

He said there was “no doubt” that the Chinese language had become the “largest tool of communication in the world” and the UN had included it in the list of its official communication language.

PM condemns attack on customs officials in DI Khan

PM Shehbaz strongly condemned the attack on Customs officials in the Daraban area of District Dera Ismail Khan earlier this week.

He said that such cowardly acts would not shake the resolve of the government and that the fight against terrorism and smuggling would continue till their complete elimination.

The prime minister prayed for the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude, his office stated in a press release.

He said that looking after the bereaved families of the martyrs was now the responsibility of the government and directed the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to prepare a “Shuhada package” for the bereaved families.