The Confucius Institute (CI) University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Saturday arranged Chinese cultural Lantern Festival at a local hotel in which Chinese and Pakistani cultural performances were presented before the large gathering.

The event was chaired by UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar while CI Vice Chairman Dr Ashfaq Chatha, Dr Fahad Rasool also spoke on the occasion. The Lantern Festival or is a Chinese festival which is celebrated on the 15th of the first month in lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar said that both the countries were enjoying excellent bilateral ties based on brotherhood, and neighborhood. Both countries treat each other as their brothers. He said that such event bring the people of the both countries more closer and make the ties more strengthen.
He said that UAF Chinese Confucius Institute is a step towards bring people of both countries come closer through language and learning. He said that UAF Confucius institute was mulling extending its operation in other institutes including Government College University Lahore and University of Engineering and Technology Lahore to impart the teaching of Chine languages.
The institute also enables students and teaching community to learn Chinese to win scholarships in China in many fields of education. He said that 35 faculty members of UAF had completed their degrees from China.
He said that Pakistan China Economic Corridor would bring the prosperity in the regions. He said that country will witness an economic turnaround that would help ensure sustainable development because of CPEC.
Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Chatha said that eight Chinese language courses had been completed at the CI-UAF. He said that the UAF was enjoying good relations with the Chinese institutions. He said that agriculture is the backbone of our economy that is directly linked to the rural development. He said that UAF academic ties with Chinese universities are being boosted to get benefit from each other experience. He said Chinese universities were proving their mettle globally in every filed.