The Pakistani Embassy hosted a Food Reception at the Guobin Hotel in Beijing in celebration of the renaming of a road in Islamabad. The former University Road was renamed Zhou Enlai Road in commemoration of China's first Premier.

Most Chinese are probably a bit vague about Pakistani food. But this cuisine features a lot of beef, mutton and dairy products not so commonly used by its Indian neighbor.

So it's important to help Chinese people get to know more about Pakistani tradition and culture.

Pakistanis have great respect for China's first Premier, Zhou Enlai, as a great politician who showed himself a caring and selfless brother of Pakistan. At the reception, Pakistani diplomats expressed their hopes for a closer friendship between the two countries.

Traditional Chinese medical philosophy believes that different diets may result in different personalities. While China's distinctive regional styles are famous across the world, Pakistani food has yet to receive the attention it deserves.

With a long tradition of food culture and with the consistent development of its market economy, China may be able to give its southern neighbor some help in getting its food on the tables of the world.

(CCTV.com September 3, 2004)