KEY POINTS
- Zardari in China Sept 12–21; agenda includes CPEC, trade, connectivity.
- Second visit in 2025; February trip covered infrastructure, energy, Gwadar.
- Visit reaffirms Pakistan-China “all-weather” partnership, regional stability.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari will undertake a state visit to China from September 12 to 21 at the invitation of Beijing, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
President Zardari’s programme includes stops in Chengdu, Shanghai, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where he is expected to hold meetings with provincial leaders.
Talks will centre on trade, economic cooperation, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), alongside discussions on future connectivity and collaboration in multilateral forums.
Pakistan and China describe their ties as an “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” rooted in decades of political, military, and economic engagement.
At the heart of this relationship lies CPEC, the multibillion-dollar infrastructure and energy corridor that forms the pivot of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Launched in 2013, CPEC has been central to Pakistan’s development strategy, linking Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China’s western Xinjiang region through roads, rail, power plants, and special economic zones.
For Beijing, it represents a critical BRI node that connects Western China to the Arabian Sea and beyond, providing access to the Middle Eastern and African markets.
The President’s visit also comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s five-day trip to China earlier this year, during which both sides renewed their commitment to accelerate the next phase of CPEC, expand trade flows, and deepen cooperation in technology, agriculture, and industrial modernisation.
Sharif’s meetings with Chinese leadership emphasised Pakistan’s role as a frontline partner in the BRI, while also underscoring Beijing’s continued interest in securing its investments amid regional security challenges.
This will be President Zardari’s second visit to China in 2025. In February, he spent five days in Beijing and other cities, where discussions yielded commitments to expand cooperation in infrastructure, mining, energy, and upgrading Pakistan’s railway network, while also renewing support for operationalising Gwadar Port.
At that time, both sides had pledged to accelerate ongoing CPEC projects and deepen coordination in agriculture, communications, and industry.
Observers say the September visit will build on earlier engagement, with greater emphasis on trade flows and connectivity through western China, particularly Xinjiang, where Pakistan hopes to attract investment in logistics and regional linkages.
