ISLAMABAD   -  Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong on Tuesday planted a Friendship Tree, at the Chinese Embassy compound, as part of ongoing celebrations to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations. 

The 70th Anniversary celebrations were jointly initiated by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a virtual ceremony held on March 2 2021. 

Both sides have planned a wide range of activities, spread throughout the year, to mark this historic milestone and celebrate the evolution of Pakistan-China friendship that has, over seven decades, transformed into a time-tested “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” despite vicissitudes of times and changes in the international and regional situation. 

Plantation of the evergreen Deodar tree, which is also the national tree of Pakistan, depicted the spirit of Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. 

Both sides reiterated commitment to celebrate the 70th Anniversary in a befitting manner, a foreign ministry statement said.