The all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China has entered a high-tech phase, shifting focus from traditional infrastructure to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles, industrial robotics, and modern agriculture.

This was stated by Consul General of China in Lahore Sun Yan during a special ceremony at Government College University (GCU), held to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and 75 years of bilateral ties. GCU students also addressed the ceremony, highlighting different aspects of the Pakistan-China friendship and its role in strengthening the economy and security of Pakistan.

The Consul General said this new technological phase will soon be highlighted by a historic milestone: the mission of the first Pakistani astronaut to the Chinese space station.

“Over the past 75 years of diplomatic ties, our two countries have forged an unbreakable friendship and brotherhood,” he stated.

Speaking on the occasion, GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Omer Chaudhry announced the revival of the university's Chinese Research Center, which will host a major international conference later this year.

Furthermore, GCU is launching four nationwide, competitive research projects focused on the evolving Chinese economy and Sino-Pak relations.

Reflecting on his recent visits to Chinese universities, the Vice Chancellor stressed the need for enhanced, two-way student mobility. While acknowledging that approximately 30,000 Pakistani students currently study in China, he urged the development of formal frameworks to bring Chinese scholars to Pakistan, calling reciprocal exchanges the foundation of genuine people-to-people connectivity.

He also advised Pakistani youth to closely study China's unprecedented economic rise, citing the nation's strict adherence to time management and relentless work ethic as essential blueprints for Pakistan's own development.

Earlier in the event, Dr. Ahmad Raza, In-charge of the International Relations Department, lauded the Chinese Consulate for its steadfast support of academia in Punjab. He confirmed that the evaluation process for the need- and merit-based Chinese Consul General Scholarships is currently underway. A formal ceremony will soon be held to award the scholarships alongside HSK language proficiency certificates to successful students. He added that the GCU-IR Department is the first to offer a specialization in China Studies to students.