An August 31 address by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at China's Tianjin University has been well-received across China, resonating with students, and the general public, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday During his visit for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Sharif spoke to an audience of 540 faculty members and students at Tianjin University. He reaffirmed the "time-tested, all-weather strategic cooperative partnership" between Pakistan and China, highlighting the deep-rooted friendship and exploring future bilateral cooperation.

The speech drew warm responses from the university community. Chinese undergraduate student Lu Yu said the feeling of friendship was mutual. "Though we are from different countries, our hearts resonated on the same frequency, speaking of the friendship between our two nations," Lu said. "Just as we have many Pakistani classmates at Tianjin University, learning and progressing with them is a manifestation of the China-Pakistan friendship in our own lives." Pakistani students at the university expressed pride and emotion. Awan, a civil engineering student, had a personal reunion with the prime minister, whom he helped host in 2017 during his visit to Tianjin as the then Chief Minister of Punjab.

He presented Sharif with a photograph from their first meeting. "The Prime Minister was very happy with the photo and kept it as a personal memento," Awan said, adding that Sharif urged students to take Chinese innovation home to "build a 'mini-China' in Pakistan." Raunaq, a Pakistani medical student, described his studies in China as "one of the most meaningful journeys" of his life, which made him feel like a "living bridge" for Pakistan-China friendship.

"I believe that just as our leaders are working together to strengthen the future of Pakistan-China relations, we students also have a responsibility to nurture this friendship," he said. Another Pakistani student, Musharraf from the School of Civil Engineering, who has lived in Tianjin for four of his eight years in China, considers the city his "second home." "For me, the warm friendship I have received at Tianjin University is the most vivid embodiment of the 'iron-clad' friendship," he stated, vowing to use his expertise to contribute to the shared prosperity of both nations.

The prime minister's message also went viral online, where video clips of his speech garnered tens of millions of views on Douyin, China's version of TikTok. In thousands of comments, many referred to Pakistan using the common term of endearment "Ba Tie," or "iron brothers".

"We’re iron-brother countries for decades," one user wrote. Another commented, "Pakistan is the most reliable and the friendliest to Chinese people." One user shared a personal story, recounting, "At a Pakistani restaurant... the owner knew I was Chinese and gave me an extra one for free. Long live China-Pakistan friendship!"

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China