President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his resolve to bolster ties with China in various sectors including agricultural, health, education and trade.
According to details surfaced on Sunday, President Zardari, on his visit to China, met the Hunan Province party secretary of and attended a reception hosted by the Hunan governor.
During the meeting with the party secretary, discussions were held on expanding cooperation, with agreement reached to further strengthen Pakistan–China relations.
The president stated that relations with China are a key element of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He said ties with China span generations and that the peoples of both countries share a deep bond. He also invited the Party Secretary to visit Pakistan for the 75th anniversary celebrations of diplomatic relations.
Appreciation was expressed by the President for Hunan’s expertise in agricultural technology and equipment, with interest shown in enhanced cooperation in seeds, agricultural research and modern farming methods. Possibilities for expanding bilateral trade in agricultural machinery, minerals and IT were highlighted.
The party secretary, Shen Xiaoming, and the president also exchanged views on regional developments.
In a briefing, it was stated that Hunan universities have signed 12 cooperation agreements with Pakistani institutions, with 959 Pakistani students currently studying in the province.
Governor Mao Weiming, speaking at the reception, described Pakistan–China friendship as exemplary and said Hunan Province would continue to play a sincere role in the development of CPEC 2.0.
President Zardari said that the peoples of Pakistan and China are bound by deep historical ties and that there is strong potential to further expand cooperation between Pakistan and Hunan. Senators Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, Ali Hassan Brohi and others were also present.
Earlier, the president visited Sany Heavy Industry in Changsha, Hunan Province, where he stressed the importance of strengthening industrial cooperation and technological partnership between Pakistan and China.
He said modern industrial technology and joint ventures could play a key role in Pakistan’s infrastructure and industrial development.
The president also visited Hunan Tea Group Company Limited, where he was briefed on operations, supply chain and international market access. He praised the company’s expertise in tea cultivation, processing, research and marketing, and encouraged exploration of cooperation opportunities with Pakistan in value addition, agro-processing and exports.
