China and Pakistan are close neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, with common hearts and minds and destinies. The two countries support and help each other, and are reliable all-weather friends at critical times. For this reason, Chinese people regard Pakistan as an “iron brother”. Over the years, the officers and soldiers of the Hongqirap Talks and Meeting Station on the Sino-Pakistani border have protected this profound traditional friendship with actions.
中巴是山水相连、民心相通、命运相系的亲密邻邦。两国彼此支持、相互帮助，是关键时刻靠得住的全天候朋友。为此，中国人民视巴基斯坦为“铁哥们”。多年来，中巴边境的红其拉甫会谈会晤站官兵，用行动呵护着这一深厚的传统友谊——
Chinese and Pakistani border guards conduct joint patrols in Hongqirapu. Photo by Zhang Qingliang
The snow-capped mountains are towering, the peaks are numerous, and the cold wind of the Pamirs in harsh winters is biting. The Karakoram Highway is like a bloody artery, winding forward.
Starting from Kashgar, Xinjiang, and driving along the Karakoram Highway, the reporter and his party arrived at the meeting station of the Hongqirapu talks. It is also an important location on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
雪山高耸，群峰林立，严冬的帕米尔高原寒风刺骨。喀喇昆仑公路就像一条流淌着热血的大动脉，不断蜿蜒向前。
从新疆喀什出发，沿喀喇昆仑公路一路行驶，记者一行来到了红其拉甫会谈会晤站。这里，也是中巴经济走廊上的重要地段。
China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and the two countries are “good neighbors, good friends, good brothers, and good partners”. For ordinary Chinese people, they prefer to call Pakistan affectionately “Pakistan Railway”.
“The wind knows the grass, and the fire sees real gold. Safeguarding and inheriting this friendship is the common aspiration of the two peoples, and we are duty-bound. Dai Liming, director of the meeting station, said that over the years, generations of officers and soldiers of the meeting station have used their actual actions to protect and promote the iron-like friendship between China and Pakistan.
Gao Xiang, the interpreter at the station, said with deep feelings that the officers and soldiers of China and Pakistan are like brothers, they all carry each other and think of each other in their hearts, and there are many heart-warming stories that bear witness to this friendship.
In July last year, a section of the Karakoram Highway was washed away by a flash flood, cutting off transportation and supplies. To this end, the Pakistani side requested assistance from China during the meeting.
中国和巴基斯坦是全天候战略合作伙伴关系，两国是“好邻居、好朋友、好兄弟、好伙伴”。而对于普通中国老百姓来说，更喜欢把巴基斯坦亲切地称为“巴铁”。
“疾风知劲草，烈火见真金。维护和传承好这份友谊，是两国人民的共同心声，我们责无旁贷。”会谈会晤站站长戴黎明说，多年来，一代代会谈会晤站官兵用自己的实际行动呵护、促进着中巴之间铁一般的友谊。
该站翻译高翔深有感触地说，中巴双方官兵就像亲兄弟一样，彼此心里都装着对方、想着对方，有许多温暖心窝的故事都见证着这份友谊。
去年7月，喀喇昆仑公路巴方境内的一个路段被山洪冲毁，切断了巴方的交通和补给。为此，巴方在会晤时请求中方给予援助。
“To solve the difficulties of our brothers, we must do our best.” The next day, when the trucks loaded with rice, flour, cooking oil, vegetables, and other urgently needed materials arrived in Pakistan, the Pakistani personnel were very surprised: “I really didn’t expect you to come to the rescue so quickly, you are really our good brothers!”
“为解决兄弟的困难，我们必须全力以赴。”第二天，当满载大米、面粉、食用油、蔬菜等急需物资的给养车抵达巴方时，巴方人员十分吃惊：“真没想到你们会这么快就赶来救援，你们真是我们的好兄弟！”
“Many things like this have brought the hearts of the border guards of the two countries closer together.” Dai Liming told reporters that one winter, when the Pakistani side met with it, it revealed that the coal for winter heating at the checkpoint was not yet in place, and wanted to ask the Chinese side for temporary assistance. After Dai Liming consulted his superiors, he organized the officers and men of the meeting station to contact two trucks to load coal overnight. The next day, the coal truck overcame difficulties such as snow and slippery roads, and after a nearly five-hour trek, the coal full of Chinese border guards’ friendship was delivered to the Pakistani checkpoint.
“Winter can’t stop the deep friendship between the soldiers of the two countries.” The Pakistani checkpoint personnel shook the hands of the Chinese soldiers one by one and said excitedly: “Thank you, my brother, Long live the friendship between China and Pakistan!”
“寒冬阻挡不了两国军人之间的深厚友情。”巴方检查站人员一个劲地握着中国军人的手，激动地说：“感谢你们，我的兄弟，中巴友谊万岁！”
国之交在于民相亲，民相亲在于心相通。只有不断密切相互交往，才能加深彼此的理解和互信。这样的信念，已经成为会谈会晤站官兵的共识。
The friendship between countries lies in the affinity of the people, and the affinity of the people lies in the common heart. Only by constantly and closely interacting with each other can we deepen mutual understanding and mutual trust. Such conviction has become the consensus of officers and men at the meeting station.
“许多类似这样雪中送炭的事情，让两国边防军人的心更紧密地贴到了一起。”戴黎明告诉记者，有一年冬天，巴方在会晤时，流露出检查站冬季取暖用煤还没有到位、想请中方临时提供援助的想法。戴黎明经请示上级后，组织会谈会晤站官兵联系2台载重卡车连夜装煤。第二天，运煤车一路克服雪大路滑等困难，经过近5小时的跋涉，将饱含中国边防军人情谊的煤炭送到了巴方检查站。
One day at the beginning of this year, Mullah Asmu, a herder in the Balahon Valley of Bafang, suffered a heart attack while grazing his cattle and was in critical condition. However, due to traffic obstructions and limited local medical conditions, the herdsman’s life was in danger. The Pakistani side immediately asked for help from our meeting station, hoping to send the herdsmen to China’s Tashkurgan County Hospital for rescue. At that time, the border area between China and Pakistan was in a cold winter retreat. After learning of this situation, the meeting station quickly asked the superiors, and at the same time contacted the local government, coordinated with the border inspection station and customs to open a green channel for entry, so that Asmumullah could receive timely treatment and get rid of the danger to his life.
今年年初的一天，巴方巴拉洪山谷牧民阿斯木毛拉在放牧时突发心梗，病情危急。但由于交通受阻，加之当地医疗条件有限，该牧民得不到及时救治，生命危在旦夕。巴方立即向我会谈会晤站求助，希望能将牧民送到中国塔什库尔干县医院抢救。当时，中巴边境地区正值寒冬闭关。得知这一情况后，会谈会晤站迅速请示上级，同时与地方政府进行对接，协调边检站、海关开通入境绿色通道，使阿斯木毛拉得到及时治疗，脱离了生命危险。
“Rather give up gold, not give up Sino-Pakistani friendship”. Dai Liming told reporters that not long ago, our Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan, suffered a terrorist attack. Two Pakistani police officers died to protect the security of the consulate. The Pakistani side said that the Pakistan-China friendship is unique and precious, and will protect the safety of Chinese friends in Pakistan like its own citizens. Afterward, Chinese netizens who were deeply moved also enthusiastically donated to the two Pakistani police officers who unfortunately died, fully reflecting the profound friendship between the two peoples.
“宁舍金子，不舍中巴友谊”。戴黎明告诉记者，前不久，我驻巴基斯坦卡拉奇总领馆遭遇恐怖袭击。为保护领馆安全，两名巴基斯坦警察不幸牺牲。巴方表示，巴中友谊独特而珍贵，将像保护自己公民一样保护在巴基斯坦的中国朋友的安全。事后，深受感动的中国网友，也踊跃为这两名不幸牺牲的巴基斯坦警察捐款，充分体现了两国人民之间的深厚情谊。
Chen Zhengshan, political commissar of the Kashgar Military Subdistrict, where the meeting station of the Hongqirapu talks and meeting is located, said with emotion: Over the past few years, the talks and meetings between China and Pakistan have achieved remarkable results, and the two sides have further deepened their friendship in treating each other sincerely, supporting each other, and providing mutual benefit and assistance. This valuable and sincere exchange has also laid a solid foundation for China and Pakistan to jointly maintain border security and stability. It is believed that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan and the two militaries, the future of China-Pakistan friendship will be better, as sung in the “Song of China-Pakistan Friendship”: “My friends come from far away and bring the dream of the Belt and Road Initiative.” Day or night, we walk on the road. ”
红其拉甫会谈会晤站所在的喀什军分区政委陈正山感慨地说，这些年来，中巴双方会谈会晤成果显著，双方在真诚相待、相互支持、互利互助中进一步加深了友谊。这份难能可贵的真挚交往，也为中巴双方共同维护边境安全稳定奠定了坚实的基础。相信在中巴两国、两军的共同努力下，中巴友谊的明天一定会更美好，就像《中巴友谊之歌》中唱的那样：“我的朋友来自远方，带来一带一路的梦想。无论白天还是黑夜，我们行走在一条路上。”