On September 20, the 8th Silk Road International Expo and China's East-West Cooperation, Investment and Trade Fair opened in Xi'an. Pakistan is the Guest of Honour at this year's Silk Expo. In recent years, Shaanxi has actively deepened exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of economy and trade, agriculture, education, people-to-people and sister cities, and made efforts to contribute to the development of China-Pakistan relations. On the morning of the same day, this reporter interviewed Kahlil Hashmi, Pakistani Ambassador to China, who came to Shaanxi to attend the meeting, at the Pavilion of the Guest of Honor.

Q: This is the first time Your Excellency has been to Shaanxi, what is your impression of this place?

A: This is my third time in Shaanxi. The first time was in the summer of 2017, the second time was in June this year with Prime Minister Shehbaz to visit Shaanxi, and this is the third time to participate in the Silk Expo. Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, and after the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, Xi'an has become the forefront of China's opening up to the west. We visited the Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industry Demonstration Zone, and the ability of the local people to use and use resources to develop agriculture is amazing, and we look forward to deeper cooperation with Shaanxi in the field of agriculture. The Pakistani delegation, Pakistani enterprises and experts came to Shaanxi to participate in the Silk Expo, which is to seek cooperation with Shaanxi in more fields, and hope that the two sides can continue to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

Q: As a representative of the guest of honor at the Silk Expo, what is your evaluation of the conference? What are your expectations for the future cooperation between the two parties?

A: The convention and exhibition center where this year's Silk Expo is located is the most beautiful convention and exhibition center I have ever seen. We are very grateful to Shaanxi Province for its support and assistance, which provided us with such good venue facilities and helped us build such a beautiful Pakistan Pavilion. We have two parts on display this year, one is Pakistani culture and the other is Pakistani energy companies. I look forward to more cooperation between energy companies in Pakistan and Shaanxi, and hope that the economic and trade cooperation between Pakistan and Shaanxi can open a new chapter.

Q: Do you have any intention of cooperation between your country and Shaanxi in the development and utilization of cultural tourism resources?

A: Shaanxi is a place full of historical and cultural heritage, and the ancient Silk Road opened from here is a link for civilization exchanges. Pakistan is a country with close ties to the Silk Road and has many cultural monuments. Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan and has a sister city relationship with Xi'an. The friendship between Pakistan and Shaanxi has a long history, and the cooperation has a good foundation and broad prospects. I hope that Pakistan and Shaanxi will carry out more cooperation in the fields of culture, trade, and youth student exchanges in the future. Based on this exhibition, I am confident that our cooperation will reach a new level.