Urdu version of Xi's book celebrated

The book on President Xi Jinping's views on the governance of China has been released in the Urdu language in Pakistan.

At the launch of the Urdu version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said China had modernized its economy and governance "with tremendous speed and precision".

"From this book, we learn how China has transformed itself in the last four decades," Sharif said during the book's launching ceremony, referring to China's belief in "putting people first".

The book contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters by President Xi between November 2012 and June 2014.

It briefs readers on China's development, domestic and foreign policies, and responses to concerns of the international community.

Urdu and English are both widely used in the South Asian country. The English version of the book was released in Pakistan in December 2014.

China International Publishing Group and the Pakistan-China Institute have worked together to translate the book into Urdu to facilitate reading by more Pakistani readers.

Jiang Jianguo, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and minister of the State Council Information Office, said that as protectionism and isolationism are on the rise worldwide, Xi's proposal for building a "community of shared destiny" shows China's sense of duty and wisdom.

Jiang said that Pakistan, as a good friend and neighbor of China, is a key hub of the Belt and Road Initiative.

He added that China invites countries to take the express train of its development.

China's ambassador to Pakistan, Sun Weidong, said the book opens a new window for the people of Pakistan to understand and access China, and it tells stories of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between China and its neighbors.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, as a pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative, is taking the lead, Sun said.

Prime Minister Sharif described the corridor as "a symbol and icon of togetherness".

The corridor is achieving early results in areas of infrastructure and connectivity, and it will bring more investment and jobs to the country, Sharif said.

Mushahid Hussain, chairman of Pakistan's Parliamentary Committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, said the two countries share common views on development and connectivity.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will benefit not only the two countries but also the region, and the two countries will continue to "scale the heights", he said.

The Thai and Cambodian language versions of the book were also launched this month.