ISLAMABAD: In a bid to enhance people-to-people ties, China and Pakistan have launched a joint initiative to promote Chinese language and culture amongst Pakistani students
The programme, “The Language of the Eastern Silk Road – Bridging China and Pakistan, Celebrating Shared Cultural Splendor” was launched at the Department of Archaeology and Museums (DoAM), Islamabad.
China Cultural Centre in Islamabad and the Department of Archaeology and Museums and Pakistan-China Cultural and Economic Promotion Association are sponsoring the Chinese language and Chinese culture experience course.
The programme is being held from August 10 to 13, with approximately 50 Chinese and Pakistani guests, students and staff participating.
The programme comprises six sessions and aims to build a long-term platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and Pakistani youth, while introducing participants to Chinese language, calligraphy, traditional festivals, cuisine and other aspects of Chinese culture.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said Pakistan and China enjoyed an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and a friendship that was “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, and sweeter than honey.”
He said that while political, economic and infrastructural ties, including cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), remained strong, the true foundation of the bilateral relationship lay in people-to-people contacts and cultural exchange.
The minister said language was a gateway to understanding the national character and culture of a country.
He noted that the Chinese language and culture experience course would provide a long-term platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and Pakistani youth.
He said the programme would enable participants to learn basic Chinese greetings, self-introductions, numbers and everyday expressions, helping them communicate and engage meaningfully with their Chinese counterparts.
Cultural Counsellor at Embassy of China in Pakistan Chen Peng highlighted the importance of cultural exchange and mutual learning through the protection of cultural heritage.
He said Pakistan and China shared deep historical and cultural links with the Silk Road serving as a powerful connection between the civilizations of the two countries.
Mr Peng particularly highlighted the cultural links between Gandhara and Dunhuang, noting that Gandhara art represented an outstanding example of the integration of Eastern and Western civilizations, while the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang reflected the influence of diverse artistic traditions along the ancient Silk Road.
He said China-Pakistan cooperation in archaeology and cultural heritage protection had produced encouraging results.
He referred to the exhibition of 173 Pakistani cultural relics at the Forbidden City in Beijing in 2023, which he described as the largest Gandhara art exhibition to date.
He also highlighted ongoing cooperation between the Department of Archaeology and Museums and Peking University, including plans for a joint laboratory for cooperation on the cultural preservation of Taxila.
Mr Peng also highlighted the “Gandhara Guardians” project, jointly initiated by Chinese and Pakistani scholars, as an example of using education and community engagement to promote the protection of historical sites.
DoAM Director General Syeda Tanzeela Sabahat expressed the department’s commitment to strengthening cultural exchanges between Pakistan and China.
She welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to bring Chinese and Pakistani participants together through language and cultural learning and expressed hope that the programme would contribute to deeper mutual understanding and stronger people-to-people relations between the two countries.
Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026
