Building bridges: Pakistani buisness leader reflects on China visit
By Fatima Javed
ISLAMABAD, October 28 (Daily Global South): The strongest and most enduring bridges between nations are built not only through official agreements and diplomatic engagements, but through people, shared experiences and mutual understanding, said Ijaz Nisar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CEO Club Pakistan, reflecting on his recent visit to China.
Nisar, who visited Shandong Province as part of the 9th Pakistan-China Young Workers’ Seminar Camp, said the experience offered him an opportunity to witness the depth of people-to-people connections between Pakistan and China.
“Countries may sign agreements, but people create understanding,” Nisar said in his reflections on the visit, emphasizing that mutual understanding provides the foundation for lasting partnerships between nations.
During his stay in Shandong, Nisar met professionals from both Pakistan and China and participated in exchanges that went beyond formal business and institutional interactions. The meetings provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences and perspectives while developing a deeper appreciation of the relationship between the two countries.
According to Nisar, the experience demonstrated that bilateral relations are not confined to governments, official agreements or commercial partnerships. Rather, they are also shaped by ordinary interactions, professional exchanges and the relationships developed between people from both sides.
He described his participation in the 9th Pakistan-China Young Workers’ Seminar Camp as a meaningful opportunity to represent Pakistan and engage with participants from China and Pakistan.
Nisar expressed gratitude to Prof. Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, for the invitation, while also acknowledging the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, the CPEC Secretariat and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) for facilitating the exchange.
Beyond Business and Agreements
For Nisar, the China visit was not solely about professional or economic engagement. It also offered an opportunity to experience the country through its culture, food, architecture, streets and, most importantly, its people.
“What surprised me most about China wasn’t its size or its cities, it was how much there is to discover in the details,” he observed.
He noted that every day of the visit revealed a different aspect of China, from its cultural traditions and food to its urban environment and interactions with people. These experiences, he suggested, can often provide insights that cannot be gained through formal meetings alone.
“Some moments are about business. Some are simply about experiencing a place. And those moments often tell you more than you expect,” he said. His observations highlight the importance of cultural exposure and personal interaction in strengthening understanding between societies. While economic cooperation and institutional partnerships remain important components of Pakistan-China relations, people-to-people contact can create a broader social foundation for those ties.
A Relationship Built on Understanding
Pakistan and China have developed extensive cooperation across areas including trade, investment, infrastructure, education, technology and regional connectivity. Alongside these areas of cooperation, exchanges involving young professionals, workers, academics, entrepreneurs and other segments of society provide opportunities for both countries to better understand each other.
Nisar’s experience in Shandong reflects this broader dimension of bilateral engagement.
The interactions at the seminar camp allowed participants to exchange views while learning about each other’s professional and social environments. Such exchanges can help build relationships that continue beyond a particular seminar, visit or official programme.
For Nisar, the central lesson from the journey was clear: meaningful international relationships ultimately depend on human connections. “Some journeys take you to another country. The best ones bring you closer to its people,” he said. His reflections underline how travel, cultural interaction and professional exchanges can contribute to a deeper understanding between nations.
As Pakistan and China continue to expand cooperation across multiple sectors, people-to-people exchanges remain an important part of the relationship, creating space for new ideas, professional networks and partnerships to emerge.
For Nisar, the journey to China therefore became more than a visit to another country. It was an opportunity to experience the human side of a relationship that continues to evolve through the connections created between people on both sides.
About the Author: Fatima Javed is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Global South. She is an Islamabad-based journalist covering international affairs, regional cooperation, politics, and economic development, with a particular interest in the Global South.
For correspondence: fatima@dailyglobalsouth.com
