LAHORE - PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif Thursday said Pakistan was passing through a difficult period as a result of recent floods, but he hoped that the brave people of the country would rise to meet the gigantic task of rehabilitation and rebuilding the affected regions and the national economy with the help of friends countries like China. Talking with the new Chinese ambassador, Liu Jian, at his Raiwind residence, where Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was also present, on Thursday, he described the time-tested Pak-China friendship as model of inter-state relationship for the entire world. Nawaz said the Chinese as a great nation were making huge strides, which was a miracle of the modern history of the world. He said Chinas growth over the past three decades had not only brought peace and prosperity to the great country but had also contributed to global trade, investment and economic stability. Sharif assured the Chinese envoy of his partys support in mutual efforts to reinforce and further strengthen the brotherly ties. He also thanked the Chinese ambassador for a prompt and generous assistance by China for the flood victims in Pakistan. The former prime minister said China not only made a substantial singular assistance for the calamity-stricken people but it also joined the UN global appeal by donating an additional assistance of $200m. Nawaz recalled his meeting with Chinese investors during his visit to China last year and said their interest in the power, energy and communications sectors in Punjab was highly encouraging and opened a new chapter of cooperation in the provinces socio-economic development. Briefing the ambassador about devastations caused by floods in Punjab, Shahbaz said agriculture sector had alone suffered a loss of Rs82 billion while one-fifth of standing crops were lost. Floods also made around two million people homeless and the provincial government was now establishing model villages as a temporary abode for flood victims before they were sent back to their home. He invited the guest to a donors conference convened by the Punjab govt on September 30. The Chinese ambassador said the govt and the people of China held Nawaz in the highest esteem as a sincere friend and a well wisher who had made an invaluable contribution to the consolidation of mutual ties. Jian said Pak-China friendship had completed 60 years of indestructible friendship and the government and the people of China, who held the fraternity with Pakistan as a prized reminder of socio-economic and political cooperation, had decided to celebrate 2011 as the year of Sino-Pak friendship. He described Chinas help for flood victims as a duty and said his country was looking forward by sending teams of experts to contribute in the rehabilitation work.