The year 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. Over the past 75 years, the two countries have stood together through storms and hardships, supported each other faithfully, transcended geographical distance and ideological differences, and weathered changing international circumstances. Together, they have forged an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership as solid as a rock and as enduring as ever, creating the "ironclad friendship" described as "higher than the mountains, deeper than the seas, sweeter than honey, and stronger than steel".

On April 21, 2015, during an important speech at the Pakistani Parliament, Xi Jinping stated: "The traditional friendship between China and Pakistan will surely grow broader like the Karakoram Highway." This deeply meaningful statement accurately summarised the historical foundation and spiritual essence of China-Pakistan friendship, while also pointing the way forward for the long-term development of bilateral ties in the new era.

The Karakoram Highway winds through the Karakoram Mountains, the Hindu Kush, the Pamir Plateau, and the Himalayas, crossing towering peaks and rushing gorges. It stands as a monument of friendship jointly built by the peoples of China and Pakistan with their sweat and blood. More than half a century ago, countless builders overcame freezing temperatures, high altitudes and immense difficulties, carving roads through mountains and bridging rivers to construct this vital route connecting the two nations on the roof of the world. The Karakoram Highway not only overcame geographical barriers but also became a bridge linking the hearts and destinies of the Chinese and Pakistani peoples. Over the past 75 years, China-Pakistan friendship has resembled this highway -........

© The Express Tribune