New chandelier at Muhammad Ali Jinnah mausoleum signals all-weather ties: Xi Jinping

China has gifted a new crystal chandelier to Pakistan to replace an earlier one at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that was given by it 46 years ago with President Xi Jinping describing the gift as a symbol of their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

President Mamnoon Hussain yesterday unveiled the grand chandelier, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology, at the Mazar-e-Quaid here.

Chinese President Xi in his congratulatory message to his Pakistani counterpart on the occasion said the grand chandelier will become an important symbol of the friendship between the two countries from generation to generation, the APP news agency reported.

Xi, in the message read out by Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, said the crystal chandelier, presented by the Chinese government 46 years ago as a national gift to Pakistan, became an often quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two countries.

"Now the maintenance of the chandelier has been completed smoothly. It will become an important symbol of the friendship for generations between our countries and our peoples," Xi added.

He said China-Pakistan friendship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and contributes to peace and development of the region and the world at large.

"I attach high importance to China-Pakistan relations, and would like to join hands with you to promote greater development of China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperative partnership. May China-Pakistan friendship pass on from generation to generation and retain its full vitality forever," he said.

President Mamnoon said China's friendship is Pakistan's precious asset and the gift of the chandelier is a beautiful symbol of this close relationship.