A six-member delegation of Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by Deputy Minister for International Relations of CPC, Liu Hongcai arrived at Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore on Sunday.
Senior Minister Punjab, Raja Riaz Ahmad; Sports & Culture Minister, Dr Tanvir-ul-Islam; General Secretary, Pakistan People's Party, Jehangir Badar; PPP leaders Beelum Hasnain and Begum Shakila Rasheed welcomed the Chinese delegation on their arrival.
Talking to the media, Liu Hongcai said that the delegation is visiting on the invitation of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to further promote and strengthen the bilateral political relations between the two organisations and to improve bilateral relations.
Senator Jehangir Badar, while welcoming the long-lasting relations between the two political parties, maintained that this important tour will further augment the relations.
He welcomed the signing of as many as 13 different MoUs by President Asif Ali Zardari with Chinese authorities during his ongoing visit to China and hoped this visit of Chinese delegation will help to set modalities for the implementation of the signed MoUs.
Later, Senior Minister Punjab Raja Riaz Ahmad hosted a reception in honour of the Chinese delegation at a local hotel. Culture Minister Dr Tanir-ul-Islam, Senator Jehangir Badar, President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Qasim Zia, President PPP Punjab Rana Aftab, PPP General Secretary Samiullah Qureshi, Parliamentary Secretaries Faiza Malik and Uzma Bokhari, Sajida Mir MPA, Beelum Hasnain, Haji Aziz-ur-Rehman Chan, Naveed Chaudhry, Shakila Rasheed and MPA Athar Gorchani attended the reception among others.
On the occasion, Senior Minister Raja Riaz observed that Sino-Pak friendship is a model of long lasting friendship in the world which is based on mutual respect and honour.
Both the countries are peace loving and there foreign policy is based on the principles of tolerance and non-interference, he added. He maintained that PPP is a major political party with a political vision and it is striving to bring socio-economic revolution in the country by sustained reforms and a policy of political reconciliation with all the political forces.
Senator Jehangir Badar hoped that Sino-Pak friendship will continue for centuries. He said that the democracy has dawned in the country and it is a pivotal force for political stability and development in Pakistan.
Liu Hongcai appreciated the political process and hoped that the new scenario will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two important Asian countries.