Khan says the Belt and Road Initiative will have a very positive impact on the world, and expects the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which he sees as a flag - ship project of the initiative, to bring great benefits to Pakistan.

"China wants to share their expertise with other countries, mostly those in Asia and Africa, and I think this will bring a lot of happiness and prosperity to the entire region. The countries, through the initiative, will be more interconnected with each other."

He says the poverty level is still very high in Pakistan, and local people are looking forward to more Chinese investment, especially in areas like infrastructure and the energy sector.

So far, his research program is going well, and 40 percent of the work has been completed.

The current project has actually paved the way for further cooperation between his university and the academy, and the two organizations have already signed an memorandum of understanding. Also, visits were paid to both institutions over the past few months to discuss future cooperation.

"I hope that I can continue visiting China to participate in such cooperation projects," he says.

Khan says life in Beijing is much easier than he'd expected, thanks to the convenient local public transportation, restaurants offering halal food and mosques for Muslims.

This encouraged him to bring his family to live with him a couple of months ago.

"The attitude of the people is very friendly because our countries enjoy a very good relationship with each other," he says.

He says that language is the only challenge for them so far. However, he finds no problem talking with his Chinese colleagues, many of whom speak good English.

He also enjoys the relaxing working environment and has a very good relationship with his co-workers.

He says he was invited to join a Lunar New Year celebration party in February and performed some dance moves on the stage.

He saw it as a very good opportunity to learn about the Chinese culture.

Right now, Khan has made some new friends and socializes with former students who are studying or working in China as well, and he frequently meets up with them, he says.

liuxiangrui@chinadaily.com.cn