Islamabad: January 17, 2014. (PCP) The Ambassador of China, Sun Weidong, revealed that more than 50,000 people from Pakistan were issued visas for China in the year 2013 while addressing the launch of think-tank, Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) Annual Report 2013. This is a whopping 20% increase from the previous year indicating ever strengthening relations. The Ambassador stated that remarkable bilateral achievements were observed in 2013 which hail in a new era for Pak-China friendship. These achievements were marked by exchange of visits by the two Prime Ministers, exponential increase in bilateral trade to over $12 billion, commercial operations of Gwadar Port by a Chinese company and greater interaction between parliamentarians and think-tanks in the two countries. Sun Weidong further stated that Pakistan-China Economic Corridor and Joint Cooperation Committee are hallmarks of deepening Pak-China friendship which, based upon mutual cooperation and trust, will continue to enhance cooperation in energy, trade and economic development. He said that China is opening up its Western part for economic progress;hence the province of Xinjiang would be a critical link of cooperation with Pakistan. The Ambassador also expressed his desire for greater friendship at the grassroots level with promotion of people to people contact. “Pakistan-China friendship has a strong momentum and the people of the two countries should catch up with the change.” In this regard, he lauded the activities of the country's premier non-governmental platform, Pakistan-China Institute, in enhancing this aspect of bilateral relations by leaps and bounds as briefed in the Annual Report. He also appreciated the contributions of Senator Mushahid Hussain to promote bilateral ties. “Pak-China friendship is unique and exemplary state-to-state relations for the world, in fact, if the world could emulate this example, there would be everlasting peace,” the Ambassador enthused. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed,the Founder & Chairman, Pakistan-China Institute, highlighted various activities of PCI in 2013 and then referred to Pakistan-China Institute's new initiatives planned for 2014 which include a book project on Pakistan-China friendship, the first-ever Urdu travelogue on Xinjiang by leading travel writer, Mustansar Hussain Tarar, the launch of online teaching classes in Chinese language, and Trilateral Dialogue between think tanks of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan in May 2014 in Islamabad. He underlined that PCI would bring the youth, women, media, academia and think tanks of the two countries closer together.