Urumqi, China: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has signed a string of cooperation agreements and held high-level talks in China’s Xinjiang region, as Islamabad seeks to deepen its strategic and economic partnership with Beijing.
President Zardari began his 10-day visit to China on September 12 at the invitation of Beijing, with stops scheduled in Chengdu, Shanghai, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Region. His agenda centres on trade, economic cooperation, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and future connectivity projects, alongside consultations in multilateral forums.
China remains Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing $25 billion in recent years. Under the multibillion-dollar CPEC — a flagship of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — China has invested heavily in Pakistan’s energy, transport, telecoms, and infrastructure sectors.
MoUs in Urumqi
On Friday, Zardari witnessed the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in Urumqi:
- Livestock Sector: Between Loyang Modern Biotechnologies and the Sindh government, aimed at modernising Pakistan’s livestock industry.
- Textile Industrial Park: Between Beijing Asian Africa Longyue and ASM Services, focused on constructing a modern textile park in Pakistan.
- Emergency Equipment: Between Sichuan Chuanxiao Fire Trucks Manufacturing Company and ASM Services, covering supply, distribution, and after-sale services of fire trucks and advanced emergency equipment.
“These MoUs will open new avenues of cooperation,” Zardari said, stressing that the projects would strengthen food security, boost exports, create rural jobs, and enhance Pakistan’s disaster response capabilities.
Meeting Xinjiang Leadership
President office said =, Zardari also met Chen Xiaojiang, Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang, and Governor Erkin Tuniyaz on Thursday. Chen highlighted Xinjiang’s transformation into a hub of “prosperity, stability, and lasting peace,” with GDP crossing 5.6 trillion yuan, and noted the region’s growing role in agriculture, livestock, and mining.
He recalled Zardari’s previous visits to China, as well as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s trip earlier this year, which accelerated the second phase of CPEC with multibillion-dollar agreements. Chen pledged deeper provincial-level cooperation, pointing to sister-city arrangements — including between Urumqi and Peshawar — and reaffirmed joint counter-terrorism efforts.
Zardari, for his part, praised Xinjiang’s progress and reiterated that Pakistan-China ties were “unique, time-tested, and the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.” He called for greater agricultural and industrial collaboration, stronger security cooperation, and expanded people-to-people linkages, particularly between Xinjiang and Pakistan’s northern areas.
Strategic Context
CPEC links Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China’s western Xinjiang region through roads, railways, energy projects, and special economic zones. For Islamabad, it is central to boosting growth and connectivity; for Beijing, it provides vital access to the Arabian Sea and Middle Eastern markets.
The president’s trip comes months after Prime Minister Sharif’s five-day China visit, where both sides reaffirmed plans to fast-track CPEC’s next phase and broaden cooperation in technology, agriculture, and industrial modernisation.
“Pakistan will always remain China’s most reliable partner and trusted friend,” Zardari said, underscoring Islamabad’s alignment with Beijing on regional security and economic integration.
