“In October, a large trilateral Pakistan, Afghanistan and China conference will be held, focusing on the existing and future close cooperation between the three countries,” says Mustafa Hyder Sayed, director of Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), on his way out of an official event in Islamabad, with his wife.

“I was in China recently, as a young observer at a conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, which is sometimes said to be Asia’s World Economic Forum,” Mustafa explains.

“Although it was disappointing that the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan had to be postponed, I would underline that the strong cooperation between the countries doesn’t hinge on a single event like that, however key it may be. It will be rescheduled and made even better,” Mustafa asserts.

The Pak-China Institute has a broad portfolio as a think-tank and research institute in political, economic and cultural fields, facilitating the government, civil society and private sector.

“We give attention to diplomatic and cultural fields in our web-magazine Nihao-Salam, and the monthly cultural magazine called Youlin, which is published in cooperation with Chinese partners in Urumqi city in Xinjiang province, near Pakistan’s borders,” Mustafa explains.

“As the first and largest institute to facilitate Pakistan-China relations, we have a vast field to cover. We are both privileged and humbled, and above all, we are enthusiastic about our work,” says Mustafa Hyder Sayed, the son of a former federal minister, with international studies and work experience.

“Young Pakistani professionals and diplomats should try their best to make a mark and improve cooperation with the rest of the world, indeed with China and other neighbours,” says Mustafa, as he is off to a second event the same evening along with his

smiling wife, Zalla Khattak, who is Pakistani of mixed Afghan heritage, recently back from her degree studies abroad.

Published in Dawn, September 14th , 2014