From sunshine of Gwadar to hope of fields: How global development initiative continues a new chapter of China-Pakistan ‘ironclad’ friendship

In Urdu, there is a widely circulated phrase— “Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad,” meaning “Long live China–Pakistan friendship.” This expression vividly reflects the sincerest sentiments of the Pakistani people toward the enduring bond between the two countries. This friendship, forged over decades of trials and refinement, is not only manifested in major geopolitical strategic cooperation, but is also deeply embedded in the daily lives of ordinary people in Pakistan. Today, as the world is confronted with sluggish economic recovery and increasingly severe climate challenges, China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), like a gentle spring rain, is taking root across Pakistani soil and yielding tangible and fruitful outcomes. I. Focusing on Green Development: From Gwadar’s Harbor to Livelihoods Under the Sun As a flagship project of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Gwadar Port has become a core engine driving Pakistan’s opening-up and regional connectivity. A key question in large-scale infrastructure development is how to translate growth dividends into tangible benefits for local communities. In this regard, the Global Development Initiative, guided by a people-centered and green development philosophy, offers a practical and viable solution. Gwadar, far from Pakistan’s national power grid, has long suffered from chronic electricity shortages in coastal fishing villages, severely constraining livelihoods, education, and local industries. Through the climate change and green development cooperation mechanisms under the Global Development Initiative, household solar energy livelihood projects have been implemented in Gwadar, providing sustainable clean energy to local communities. China has delivered solar photovoltaic systems to local residents in multiple batches. Clean electricity has illuminated rural schools and enabled countless fishing households to access stable power supply for the first time, effectively ending the hardship of nighttime power scarcity