Pakistani envoy Khalil Hashmi receives diplomatic award in China

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi and awarded him the “Outstanding Diplomat Medal” in recognition of his diplomatic services and efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between Pakistan and China.

With the honour, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi became the first Pakistani envoy to receive the prestigious award introduced by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The award ceremony recognized current and former ambassadors from eight countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan, for their contributions toward enhancing diplomatic relations with China.

According to diplomatic sources, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has initiated the process of honouring foreign ambassadors for the first time as part of efforts to acknowledge outstanding diplomatic contributions and international cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi described the award as a collective achievement and credited his team, family and the diplomatic communities of both Pakistan and China for the recognition. “This honour is the result of the hard work of my team, family and the diplomatic community of both countries,” he said.

The Pakistani envoy reaffirmed the deep-rooted friendship between Islamabad and Beijing, stating that Pakistan-China relations had been passed down from generation to generation and would always remain “stronger than steel.”

Pakistan and China maintain close strategic, economic and diplomatic ties, with cooperation spanning trade, infrastructure, defense and regional connectivity under initiatives including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The award ceremony was seen as another reflection of the longstanding partnership and mutual trust shared by the two countries.