A nine-member delegation of the Civil Services Academy (CSA), Pakistan, has concluded a landmark six-day study visit to China, marking the first-ever Foreign Study Tour incorporated as a formal component of the academy's Common Training Programme (CTP). Led by Faisal Zahoor, Director (Pakistan Administrative Service), the delegation visited Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from September 13 to 18, engaging with Chinese government officials, universities, research institutions, industrial organisations and urban-development facilities.
The delegation comprised probationary officers Talha Hasib, Muhammad Shafay, Aleem Malik, Afsah Khalid, Rabia Aman, Ifrah Tehleel, Momna Azhar and Aleeza, representing the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP). The inclusion of a Foreign Study Tour in the CTP allowed probationary officers to supplement classroom-based instruction with experiential and comparative learning in an international setting. The China programme exposed them to governance systems, public institutions, technological ecosystems and urban-management models, forming part of the CTP's broader emphasis on immersive learning for future public-sector leadership.
The interaction provided the probationary officers an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of the institutional, economic, technological and diplomatic dimensions of Pakistan-China relations. In Beijing, a major component of the programme was an interaction at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the delegation met Counsellor Chen Wei, Deputy Division Director Yao Yue and Desk Officer Li Jialin. The discussions focused on Pakistan-China relations, diplomatic engagement, bilateral cooperation and institutional linkages.
The delegation also participated in a seminar at China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) with the Research Center on Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity. During their stay in the Chinese capital, the officers visited the Peking University Pakistan Research Center, Beijing Olympic Museum and Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd (BAIC), gaining exposure to academic cooperation, technological development, industrial transformation and innovation.