Calling university ‘a cradle of great learning,’ Shehbaz Sharif asks students to equip themselves with knowledge and technology, and return to Pakistan as architect of their future, national prosperity
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has urged Pakistani students at Tianjin University in China’s Tianjin national city to gain the knowledge and learn about technology with hard work and commitment and utilize their expertise in their homeland for the welfare, progress and prosperity of the people.
Addressing faculty members and students of the university in Tianjin, he told the audience that more than 200 students from Pakistan’s different parts were getting education in Tianjin University. He called it an opportunity for the students to be in a country and in such a university which was regarded as ‘a cradle of great learning.’ Terming students as Pakistan’s ambassadors, he said that they would return to their homeland as architect of their future with their hard work, dedication and commitment.
“Above all, you are the torchbearers of Pakistan-China friendship,” the prime minister told the gathering. At Tianjin University, he opined that the students would become great experts and serve as helping hands not only in China’s wonderful progress but also for the well-being and progress of Pakistan. About Pak-China friendship, he said it was built by elder generations through unwavering commitment, honesty and unbelievable sincerity thus laying foundation of a friendship to stand on pillars of mutual trust.
About 60 percent of Pakistan’s population comprised youth bulge that is a huge challenge, he said, and stressed that they should reap the demographic dividends to unlock this potential and in collaboration with China, they should chart new horizons. About government’s initiatives, he said they had sent 1,000 agriculture graduates to China to learn modern techniques. About 30,000 students from Pakistan had been getting education and training in China. He termed the vocational training as critical in building and training the young people.
Shehbaz Sharif shared that Pak-China ties were as old as the Silk Road, and as profound as the religious ties between Gandhara, Taxila and Beijing. It is pertinent to mention here that Gandhara was an ancient civilization known for its art – a unique blend of Indian and Greco-Roman styles that featured in Buddhist sites. Taxila was a prominent city within the Gandhara region, serving as its capital at one time and renowned for its ancient university and as a significant Buddhist cultural and trading center. The archaeological remains of Taxila are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The prime minister enumerated the historical facts that forged stronger ties; including Pakistan being the first Muslim country to recognize People’s Republic of China; about sixty years ago, first direct flight took from Karachi to Beijing. While Karakorum Highway, which was China’s earlier and the boldest initiative with a foreign country, besides Pakistan was the last country to receive Mao Zedong, founder and revolutionary leader of China. He said the unique milestones of friendship bound them together and carried significant and important messages for all and sundry.
Owing to their hard work, and untiring efforts, the Chinese leadership and its people had transformed the country into the second largest economy and military powerhouse, he said, adding Pakistan felt pride over the achievement of its friend. He mentioned that taking 800 million people out from poverty had been the most towering achievement of China, and all this was made possible due to the transformation by the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping. He said the Chinese president’s commitment to welfare of his people and building a shared destiny and future had inspired the entire world.
He said the Chinese leadership had inspiring strategic long-term planning for the progress of the country while keeping the welfare of its people at heart. President Xi’s visionary leadership conveyed to the entire globe, that long-lasting friendship could be achieved through multilateralism and not through unilateralism, while shared progress and prosperity could be conceived through joint team work and not through exclusive rights, he said. Citing China’s rapid strides, he said that all this was achieved not through sermons but by shedding sweat and blood.
Shehbaz Sharif recalled memories of his visit to the university during 2017. After his address, he visited the university’s National Facility for Earthquake Engineering Simulation, and appreciated China’s use of modern technology and techniques to deal with the natural calamities, saying that it will also prove to be very helpful in Pakistan. By benefiting from Chinese expertise, he said Pakistan will be able to take preventive measures and make strategies to deal with natural disasters in the future.
He directed that projects such as the International Medical Center and the China-Pakistan Joint Lab in Pakistan should be made more active and the partnership between both the countries should be further expanded to deal with natural calamities. During the visit, the prime minister was briefed on disaster management and rescue technologies, including newly-developed medical rescue vehicles at the National Earthquake Simulation Center. He was also briefed on the latest technology, developed regarding precautionary measures for natural disasters.
The prime minister was informed that several projects already exist in this regard and work is also underway on a number of projects with bilateral cooperation. These projects include the China-Pakistan Joint Lab for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, built under the Belt and Road Initiative, the International Medical Cooperation Center, and the China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital. It is also worth mentioning that the Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Gwadar was inaugurated in May 2024 with emergency, outpatient, inpatient, medical technology, administration, and logistics facilities.
