Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhang Chunxiang on Thursday
received "Hilal-i-Pakistan," the country's highest civil award.
Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf decorated Zhang
with the civil award at the presidential Aiwan-e-Sadr at a ceremony
marking the Pakistan Day.
Zhang has worked in Pakistan for over 23 years in various
capacities. During his current assignment as the Chinese ambassador
to Pakistan, he made an outstanding contribution to promoting
friendly relations between the two countries.
Zhang is the first incumbent Chinese ambassador to have received
the "Hilal-i-Pakistan." After the ceremony, Zhang told Xinhua that
the award was not only his personal honor but also an honor for his
country. He said that the award reflected the long-tested brotherly
friendship between China and Pakistan.
A total of 99 military and civil awards have been conferred to
outstanding individuals in Pakistan this year, including Zhang and
Ali Muhammad Al-Shamsi, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), who are the only foreigners.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2006)
