ISLAMABAD/BEIJING: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday began a 10-day official visit to China at the invitation of Beijing’s leadership, a trip aimed at reinforcing the two countries’ strategic partnership and expanding economic cooperation.
According to the President’s Office, Zardari will visit Chengdu, Shanghai, and the Xinjiang Region from September 12 to 21, where he is scheduled to hold talks with senior provincial and political leaders.
His agenda will center on bilateral trade, economic engagement, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and future connectivity projects, his office said.
Diplomatic observers note that the visit comes less than a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official trip to China, which resulted in investment agreements worth $8.5 billion. Zardari’s presence is expected to consolidate those gains and reaffirm Islamabad’s commitment to Beijing as its closest strategic ally.
“Pakistan and China enjoy historic, brotherly ties built on mutual trust and shared interests,” the President’s Office said in a statement, adding that Zardari’s trip would “advance economic and trade relations while underscoring the shared commitment to peace and stability in the region.”
China remains Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade crossing $25 billion in recent years. Beijing has invested heavily in Pakistan’s energy, transport, infrastructure, and telecoms sectors under the multi-billion-dollar CPEC project.
