During his visit to Beijing, President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The two leaders agreed to deepen the long-standing strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. This meeting is part of President Zardari’s broader visit to China, which also included a discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive progress in their relationship.
President Zardari highlighted the deep-rooted ties between the two nations and stressed Pakistan’s commitment to further strengthen these bonds. He emphasized the importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which plays a key role in promoting regional connectivity and boosting economic growth. With over $65 billion invested in road, infrastructure, and development projects under CPEC as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, both leaders see this project as a lifeline for Pakistan’s economy.
The discussion also focused on the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0, with plans to enhance cooperation in renewable energy, science and technology, infrastructure, and agriculture. Both sides are eager to expand trade and economic ties through increased business-to-business and private-sector partnerships. In addition, they underscored the need to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to build a closer community with a shared future.
President Zardari’s visit comes shortly after the Foreign Office dismissed recent allegations questioning Pakistan’s commitment to China. These allegations followed an incident involving Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at a US-hosted event by a group of Chinese dissidents. Pakistani officials quickly reaffirmed their strong and enduring relationship with China.