ISLAMABAD, Nov. 23: Three Urdu translations of Chinese philosophy and literature were launched here on Thursday, coinciding with the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Chairman Iftikhar Arif said on the occasion that the books were Pakistani writers’ contribution to the development of relations between the two neighbouring and friendly countries.

He said the project was undertaken with the assistance of Chinese ambassador Chang Xao Ching and his Cultural Counsellor Shang Bong Xia, themselves well versed in Urdu.

Their teacher in Beijing University, Prof Aftab Iqbal Shameem, who supervised the translation project, also spoke at the books’ launching. He praised the translator Yasir Jawad and the publication in-charge Mohammad Asim Butt for their work.

But he noted that the Chinese were “much ahead in translating epics of Urdu literature” in their language. He cited the works of Prof Thang Ming Shan and Prof Lu Shi Liang in this connection.

“It was Pakistan’s turn to return the compliment by translating Chinese classics and modern literature in Urdu,” Prof Shameem said.

The Mukalmat Confucius, a book of 116 pages, carries two extracts from the Chinese thinker’s reflections on his cult and commentaries from V.A. Smith and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The second book of 164 pages reproduces Chinese poetry from the Han, Thang, Sung, Yuan, Ming periods from 122 BC and ends in Chang era of 1911. The third book contains selections from old Chinese fiction writers and 10 contemporary short story writers.