ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in China shortly after midnight on Saturday for a multi-day visit focused on economic cooperation, trade, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to his office.
The president landed in Changsha, where he was received by Hu Xusheng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress. Pakistan’s ambassador to China and China’s ambassador to Pakistan were also present on the occasion, the President’s Secretariat said.
Earlier, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider saw off the president at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, state-run PTV reported.
According to the Foreign Office, Zardari will remain in Hunan province from April 25 to 27 and then travel to Sanya in Hainan province from April 28 to May 1.
During the visit, he will meet provincial leadership and review the full spectrum of Pakistan-China relations, with a particular focus on economic cooperation and CPEC projects.
The FO said the visit reflects the “longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges” between the two countries and carries special significance as Pakistan and China mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. It added that both sides remain committed to further strengthening their strategic cooperative partnership.
Zardari had also undertaken a 10-day visit to China last year, during which he met senior leadership and oversaw the signing of six Memorandums of Understanding between Sindh and Chinese business partners in agriculture, energy, railways, defense, and farmer training. These initiatives were later planned for expansion to other provinces.
