ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Thursday marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with renewed pledges to deepen strategic cooperation, expand economic collaboration and strengthen what leaders described as an “all-weather” partnership built on mutual trust and shared interests.

Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad commemorating the anniversary, President Asif Ali Zardari said friendship with China remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to regional peace, stability and multilateral cooperation.

According to the statement, President Zardari said both countries had consistently supported each other’s core interests while expanding cooperation across education, agriculture, science and technology, defense and cultural exchanges.

The anniversary celebrations come amid intensified high-level engagement between the two countries and continued expansion of cooperation under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, which both sides describe as central to regional connectivity and economic modernization.

Over recent years, Pakistan-China cooperation has broadened beyond infrastructure and energy into industrial development, agriculture, healthcare, maritime security, digital connectivity and financial integration, including recent Panda bond-related engagement and expanding investment partnerships.

President Zardari recently concluded a five-day visit to China during which Islamabad and Beijing signed multiple agreements covering industrial cooperation, desalination, agricultural technology, healthcare, machinery, maritime development and advanced manufacturing.

At Thursday’s ceremony, President Zardari thanked the Chinese government for its continued support for Pakistan’s development initiatives, particularly the development of Gwadar Port, and described CPEC as a “historic initiative.”

He also unveiled a commemorative postage stamp marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and China had built a relationship “second to none” through “mutual efforts, sincerity of purpose and shared commitment.”

“Seventy-five years ago, our founding fathers laid down the foundation of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Sharif said, adding that Pakistan was “the first Muslim country to recognize China and one of the first few countries around the globe.”

“Throughout these 75 years, Chinese leadership and the people of China stood with Pakistan like a solid rock,” the prime minister added.

Sharif said China had consistently supported Pakistan during periods of economic difficulty and natural disasters, including the devastating 2010 floods, when Beijing provided emergency assistance, helicopters, medicines and medical teams.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s support for the One-China policy, saying Islamabad had backed the principle “without any second thought” and would continue to do so “without fear or favour.”

He described CPEC as a “shining example” of China’s support for Pakistan’s economic development, employment generation and long-term prosperity.

Separately, Ambassador of Pakistan to China Khalil Hashmi said in an opinion article published in China’s People’s Daily that Pakistan-China relations had “withstood the test of changing international circumstances” over the past 75 years.

Hashmi said strategic mutual trust remained the defining feature of bilateral relations, noting that both countries had continuously expanded cooperation in connectivity, technology, industrialization and innovation.

“The all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has continuously reached new heights,” he wrote.

Highlighting the evolving scope of cooperation under CPEC 2.0, the ambassador said both countries were focusing on industrialization, digital economy, green development, agricultural modernization and climate resilience.

Hashmi also emphasized the growing importance of people-to-people exchanges, educational cooperation and youth engagement in strengthening long-term bilateral ties.

“People-centered, innovation-driven and future-oriented” cooperation now defines the new era of Pakistan-China relations, he wrote.

Officials from both countries described the anniversary celebrations as a reflection of enduring public support and deep-rooted institutional ties between Islamabad and Beijing, as both sides seek to further expand strategic and economic cooperation in the years ahead.

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‘Like a solid rock’: Pakistan, China mark 75 years of diplomatic relations