BEIJING – Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi was conferred the prestigious “Outstanding Diplomat Medal” by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday in recognition of his role in strengthening Pakistan-China relations.
The award was presented during a special ceremony held at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, where a total of eight current and former ambassadors accredited to China were honoured.
According to details, the recipients included former envoys from Russia, Cambodia, Chad and Uruguay, as well as the serving ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and Colombia.
Ambassador Hashmi became the first serving envoy in Beijing to receive the distinction and also the first Pakistani ambassador to China to be awarded the honour.
The Chinese foreign ministry introduced the award for the first time to recognise foreign diplomats who demonstrated exceptional diplomatic skills and contributed significantly to bilateral ties with China.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Hashmi expressed gratitude to the Chinese leadership for the recognition and dedicated the award to his diplomatic team, family members and officials from both countries who had contributed to strengthening Pakistan-China friendship over the decades.
He also thanked Foreign Minister Wang Yi for his support and commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation, while acknowledging the role of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese foreign ministry in advancing engagement between the two countries.
Highlighting the longstanding relationship between Islamabad and Beijing, Ambassador Hashmi said Pakistan and China had consistently stood by each other during difficult times, including after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and global public health emergencies.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan-China friendship would continue to remain “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey, and stronger than steel.”
