Pakistan ambassador calls Li's visit 'milestone'(2)

Aside from traditional areas of economic cooperation such as mining, construction and infrastructure development, the ambassador said he believes Chinese companies could also play a role in sectors like energy, agriculture and the IT industry, among others.

"We welcome more Chinese companies to come and take part in our development process... As I always say, the sky is the limit as far as economic cooperation is concerned," he said.

In the past 60 years, Pakistan and China have seen their friendship grow increasingly close, and the two countries have also found that their cultural link has grown ever stronger, Khalid noted.

More and more young Pakistanis are learning Chinese, he said. "At least four or five top Pakistani educational institutions have started classes in the Chinese language... And we have four Pakistani study centers in China, doing research on the history and current status of Pakistan-China relations and its future development."

"We are also promoting cooperation between the media and think tanks of the two countries. And there is a constant flow of exchanges between intellectuals, researchers and scholars, which has brought the two countries and two peoples closer."

To carry this all-weather friendship into the future, bringing the younger generations together is of great importance, the senior diplomat said.

According to Khalid, Pakistan has put a lot of emphasis on encouraging young people to learn Chinese over the past five or six years, and these efforts have yielded positive outcomes.

The program under which Pakistan and China exchange youth delegations has also promoted the affinity among youth on both sides, he added.