CHENGDU, China: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari met senior Chinese Communist Party official Li Shulei in Chengdu on Saturday, discussing ways to expand cooperation in political, economic, and cultural spheres as Islamabad doubles down on its ties with Beijing.
Zardari thanked his hosts for the Second Golden Panda Awards International Culture Forum and stressed the importance of people-to-people contacts alongside traditional, strategic and economic ties. “Pakistan is committed to deepening cooperation with China at every level,” he said.
Li, a member of the CPC Political Bureau and Minister of the Publicity Department, conveyed greetings from President Xi Jinping and praised Zardari’s recent article in China Daily, highlighting China’s high regard for Pakistan’s views.
Trade and investment backbone
Li told Zardari that China values his leadership in strengthening the partnership. “The world is changing, but China and Pakistan will remain iron-clad brothers. Today, the world needs and deserves the fragrance of books rather than the smell of gunpowder,” he said.
Diplomatic observers noted the visit comes less than a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s China trip, which yielded $8.5 billion in investment agreements. Zardari’s presence, they added, consolidates those gains and reaffirms Islamabad’s alignment with Beijing as its closest strategic ally.
China remains Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing $25 billion in recent years. Beijing has invested billions in Pakistan’s energy, transport, infrastructure, and telecoms sectors under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
“The visit will advance economic and trade relations while underscoring the shared commitment to peace and stability in the region,” the President’s Office said.
