ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, in an impressive ceremony today, formally commenced activities to celebrate 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.

The virtual ceremony was simultaneously held in Islamabad and Beijing and was attended by high-ranking officials from both sides.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah Mahmood Qureshi underscored that we pay tribute to the Chinese leadership that has done an incredible job in changing the lives and destiny of its people.

He said we believe that President Xi Jinping's leadership, at a momentous history, has greatly helped Chinese nation achieve its national aspirations.

The Foreign Minister said successive generations of leaders and people of both Pakistan and China made invaluable contributions to strengthen these ties.

He also reaffirmed that the CPEC is set to become a High-Quality Demonstration Project of Belt and Road Initiative.

At the ceremony, the Chinese Foreign Minister underlined that Pakistan-China friendship has a time-honored history and in the seven decades the two countries have stood together in rain or shine, and built an exceptional, iron-clad friendship.

A logo was launched at the ceremony epitomizing historic nature of Pakistan-China ties.

On the special occasion of the 70th anniversary, both sides have planned a series of events, including people-to-people exchanges, spread over the entire year to commemorate this historic milestone in a befitting manner.

To mark the historic occasion, both Foreign Ministers authored articles that were published today highlighting how the two countries have solidified and deepened their "All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership" over seven decades, despite vicissitudes of times and changes in the international system.