The Parvez Hassan Centre for Chinese Legal Studies at the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law at Lahore University of Management Sciences convened a high-profile commemorative gathering to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China. The event brought together distinguished members of academia, the legal fraternity, business and industry leaders, policymakers, and representatives of the Chinese community in Pakistan, underscoring the depth and resilience of the Pakistan-China partnership, which has grown over decades into a comprehensive relationship anchored in strategic cooperation, shared regional interests, and enduring people-to-people ties.
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Sun Yan attended the ceremony and highlighted expanding bilateral cooperation as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor enters its upgraded 2.0 phase, encompassing economic growth, technological innovation, and academic exchanges. The Consul General’s attendance and remarks reflected the diplomatic significance attached to the event, with the CPEC 2.0 framework increasingly focused on knowledge economy, technology transfer, and industrial collaboration rather than the purely infrastructure-driven model that characterised the corridor’s earlier phase. The gathering emphasised the importance of sustained diplomatic engagement and the role of academic institutions in fostering informed dialogue, legal understanding, and cross-border collaboration at a time of significant global transition.
Scholarships were awarded to students Laiba Abid and Jalal Tarar for their academic excellence, reflecting a commitment to education and future collaboration. Parvez Hassan highlighted the need for institutional capacity-building, noting that lasting partnerships depend on mutual understanding and scholarship. The scholarship awards represented one of the most tangible outcomes of the event, demonstrating that the Parvez Hassan Centre’s mission extends beyond convening policy conversations to actively investing in the next generation of legal and policy professionals who will be equipped to engage with Pakistan-China relations at the institutional level.
The event was attended by Shahid Hussain, Rector of LUMS; Dr. Tariq Mahmood Jadoon, Provost of LUMS; Dr. Sadaf Aziz, Dean of the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law; Li Zhi Jian, Chief Operations Official at Speedaf; Tan Zidong, Chief Executive Officer of NORINCO International Cooperation Limited; Chen Qian Jiang, President of the Chinese Business Council and Chief Executive Officer of Zhung Lan Trading Company Private Limited; Max Ma, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UNI Services International Private Limited; Dr. Saeed Shafqat, Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of the Centre for Public Policy and Governance at Forman Christian College; Ambassador Shahid Malik, former High Commissioner of Pakistan to India and Canada; and Rana Sajjad, Founder of the Centre for International Investment and Commercial Arbitration. The breadth of attendees across academia, law, diplomacy, and business reflected the multi-dimensional nature of the Pakistan-China relationship and the diverse stakeholder communities that have a direct interest in its continued deepening.
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