By The South Asia Times

BEIJING - Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong ahead of his return to home after completing his tenure in Beijing.

“Paid farewell call on Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong with whom I had the unique pleasure of working twice; during his tenure as Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan and my tenure as Pakistani Ambassador to China. Always found him to be a true friend,” Ambassador Haque said on X.

During his tenure as Pakistan's ambassador to China, Mr. Haque played a key role in maintaining the strong and friendly relations between Islamabad and Beijing.

Pakistan and China are always known as “Iron Brothers” because of their strong government-to-government, people-to-people, and military-to-military relations. 

According to China Institute of International Studies, China-Pakistan friendship has a time-honored history and in the 7 decades both countries have stood together in rain or shine, and built an exceptional, iron-clad friendship. 

Despite the vicissitudes of times and changes in the international system, “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” has grown into a towering tree with deep roots in the heart of the two peoples. 

Chinese like to affectionately call Pakistani friends “iron brothers” while Pakistanis are used to describing Pakistan-China friendship as “higher than the mountains, deeper than the sea, sweeter than honey, and harder than steel”. 

The two peoples have vividly expressed the essence of the “all-weather friendship and all-round,

Last week, Pakistan became the latest country to join the international Lunar Research Station following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Beijing and Islamabad.

The signing ceremony was held last week in Beijing which was also witnessed by Premier Li Qiang and Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar.

“The memorandum of understanding stipulates that the two parties will conduct extensive and in-depth cooperation in the demonstration, project implementation, operation and application of the international lunar scientific research station and establish an expert working group.,” it said in a statement, issued by China National Space Administration.