ISLAMABAD: China has expressed readiness to work closely with Pakistan to implement the key outcomes of President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent visit and advance the Joint Action Plan 2025–29, aimed at building an even closer China–Pakistan community with a shared future.
In an article published after the visit, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong wrote that President Zardari’s trip “added new chapters to the legendary China–Pakistan friendship, advanced practical cooperation, and deepened the bond between our two peoples.”
President Zardari was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum in Chengdu and later toured Sichuan Province, Shanghai Municipality, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from September 12 to 21. This was his second visit to China in 2025, following a state visit in February—an expression, the ambassador noted, of “his profound affection for the Chinese people and the importance he attaches to China–Pakistan ties.”
Ambassador Jiang recalled Zardari’s earlier article in China Daily, where the president described China as his “home away from home.” On this trip, the ambassador said, Zardari visited four cities, met provincial leaders, engaged with ordinary citizens, and highlighted the “journey of civilization and innovation” that continues to bind the two nations.
At the Golden Panda Forum, President Zardari lauded art as a universal language to bridge divides, describing the event as a vivid example of President Xi Jinping’s Global Civilization Initiative. Jiang said this underscored the shared aspiration of both peoples to strengthen cultural exchanges and counter divisive narratives.
The ambassador pointed to recent cultural milestones: the screening of the film BaTie Girl in both countries, the debut of the Gandhara Art Exhibition at Beijing’s Palace Museum, the popularity of Pakistani mangoes among Chinese consumers, and rising interest in Urdu language programs at Chinese universities. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s symbolic interaction with pandas in Chengdu, he added, reflected the warmth of people-to-people ties.
Highlighting Zardari’s travel on the Fuxing high-speed train in Sichuan, Jiang noted that the president praised China’s railway innovation and expressed eagerness to accelerate the “Corridor of Innovation,” complementing the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The envoy listed advances in bilateral science and technology cooperation, including cultivation of high-yield rapeseed in Pakistan, training of over 1,000 Pakistani agriculture graduates in China, the Lahore Orange Line, operation of the Hualong One nuclear power plant in Karachi, joint astronaut training, and satellite launches. “China stands ready to further align supply and demand with Pakistan and unlock greater potential in the Corridor of Innovation,” Jiang stressed.
He emphasized that both countries are pursuing national rejuvenation and improved living standards, pledging China’s readiness to share governance experience with Pakistan and support its modernization efforts.
During the visit, President Zardari also toured Shanghai Electric Group, witnessing the signing of new cooperation agreements. Jiang noted the company’s role in the Thar Engro Coal Power Project, which has boosted Pakistan’s energy security and created jobs, especially for women. He also highlighted deepening financial ties, including Chinese stakes in the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and the longstanding sister-city relationship between Karachi and Shanghai.
In Xinjiang, Zardari’s visit coincided with the 70th anniversary of the region’s founding. Touring Urumqi’s Urban Operations and Management Center, he commended Xinjiang’s achievements and said he would encourage more Pakistanis to witness its progress firsthand. Jiang called this recognition significant, coming from “an old friend of the Chinese people who has seen Xinjiang’s past and present.”
Reaffirming China’s commitment, Jiang said Beijing will continue to work with Islamabad to implement leaders’ consensuses, maximize the benefits of CPEC, focus on industry, agriculture, and mining, expand cooperation in emerging fields, and deepen cultural and local exchanges.
“From the hometown of giant pandas to the banks of the Huangpu River, and from the founding site of the CPC to the vibrant land of Xinjiang, President Zardari’s journey to his ‘home away from home’ has once again enriched the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan,” Jiang concluded.
