The Consulate General of Pakistan in Guangzhou hosted the Pakistan-China Silk Road Mango Festival 2026 at the Guangzhou Soluxe Hotel on July 26.
The event, which drew diplomats based in Guangzhou and other distinguished guests, highlighted the friendship between China and Pakistan, and Pakistan's growing ties with Guangdong Province in particular.
The festival opened with a screening of a documentary on Pakistani mangoes. Artists from China and Pakistan performed on their traditional instruments before joining together to play a piece.
Chinese and Pakistani artists perform together at the Pakistan-China Silk Road Mango Festival 2026 at the Guangzhou Soluxe Hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, July 26.
Sardar Muhammad, consul general of Pakistan in Guangzhou, delivered an address on ties between the two countries. He pointed to cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
"The mango is much more than just a fruit. It carries the warmth of our summer days, the scent of our orchards, the hard work of our farmers, and the feeling of home," Muhammad said. He also described economic ties, saying the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has served as a flagship project for strengthening trade and investment links.
He said Guangdong had long been a gateway for traders and the relationship between China and Pakistan is now deeply rooted in ties between ordinary people.
Sardar Muhammad, consul general of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Guangzhou, addresses the Pakistan-China Silk Road Mango Festival 2026 at the Guangzhou Soluxe Hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, July 26.
Wu Shaowei, president of the Guangdong Chamber of Commerce of Importers and Exporters, said China's total trade in goods reached 25.47 trillion yuan ($3.75 trillion) in the first half of 2026, with imports up 22.1 percent.
He announced that the chamber had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry to support business-to-business matchmaking.
Yang Zhanxiang, secretary-general of the Guangzhou Jiangnan Market Import Fruit Chamber of Commerce, said his organization would work to improve cold-chain logistics and customs clearance efficiency so that more Pakistani fruit would reach Chinese consumers.
Guests savored a variety of Pakistani mangoes and mango-based delicacies at the Pakistan-China Silk Road Mango Festival 2026 at the Guangzhou Soluxe Hotel in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, July 26.
The festival highlighted agricultural and trade ties between the two countries, whose relationship is often described as one between "iron brothers," with Guangdong acting as a crucial engine for market connectivity and cultural exchange.
Reporters | Guo Zedong, Yao Jingsen
Photos | Consulate General of Pakistan in Guangzhou
