Pakistani embassy in China celebrates 78th Independence Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Embassy of Pakistan in China held a flag-hoisting ceremony to celebrate Pakistan's 78th Independence Day on Wednesday.

The Independence Day falls on August 14 every year to mark Pakistan's independence from British rule in 1947.

To mark the occasion, attendees donned traditional Pakistani attire, the shalwar kameez, as the embassy courtyard came alive with music and a festive atmosphere.

Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan's Ambassador to China, said that his country "takes a lot of pride" in what it has achieved nationally, and also hailed the strength of ties with China, with the two neighbors having been described as "iron brothers."

"Looking at Pakistan-China relations, we also take a lot of pride in having developed a very stable, a very strong bilateral, strategic partnership between our two countries," said Hashmi.

The ambassador noted that there is no area in which the two countries have not engaged bilaterally, with cooperation spanning the realms of diplomacy, politics, defense, economy, trade, investment, culture, education, agriculture, and science and technology.   Hashmi also expressed deep admiration for the recently-concluded Paris Olympics and praised the performances of athletes from both China and Pakistan who showed great grit and determination in their chosen events.

"What I found most amazing is I saw some of the glimpses of how Chinese athletes and sportspersons have performed. I think it was a treat to watch them, that spoke to their very hard work, but also talent and resilience in the face of several pressures. But they stood out, and I think they made China proud. And I can tell you that this is also the case in Pakistan," said Hashmi.  

Following the flag-hoisting ceremony, the embassy conferred civil awards to two Chinese citizens, namely Sha Zukang, former president of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association, and Nong Rong, a former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, for their distinguished contributions in cementing China-Pakistan relations.

Pakistani embassy in Beijing celebrates 78th anniversary of Pakistan's independence

Some of the humanoid robots that will take part in a half-marathon race in Beijing scheduled for later this month have completed their first road test.

The race, set for April 13 in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in the capital city's southeast, will feature both robotic and human athletes competing on the same route but on separate tracks to ensure safety for all participants.

The competition is open to global robot companies, research institutes, robot clubs and universities. So far, 23 organizations have signed up for the competition, and six robot teams have participated in the road test held at midnight on March 28-29.

After all-round inspections and adjustments, a 1.8-meter-tall robot named Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Innovation Center of Humanoid Robots set off first. The robot finished the race by around two hours and 52 minutes.

The robot departed afterwards is a 1.2-meter-tall humanoid from the Noetix Robotics, a company founded in Beijing in 2023. The main features of the robot are the advanced joint design and drive system, which has highly flexible movement capabilities and can achieve rapid movements, make turnings and complete complex movements, according to its developers at the site.

To complete the 21-kilometer half marathon, each robot has to undergo several battery replacement operations along the way, which took about five minutes each time. Each team showed different technical features and tested different contents. A team from Shanghai mainly focused on the adaptability of the robot's sole to the road surface. "We must work to improve its uphill and downhill capabilities, its endurance, its operating stability, and some algorithm strategies to a higher level," said Bi Bei, head of the structural development of the Shanghai-based Cyan Robotics.

Humanoid robots complete first road test for half-marathon in Beijing