President Zardari meets Zhao Leji to enhance Pak-China relations

BEIJING: President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji on Wednesday, ARY News reported citing an official press release.

The meeting underscored the time-tested and all-weather friendship between the two countries, which grew in depth and scope over the decades.

President Asif Zardari met with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, Zhao Leji.

They also underlined strategic mutual trust as the cornerstone of the China-Pakistan relationship and emphasized the importance of continued high-level exchanges to further deepen the ongoing practical cooperation.

The two sides also discussed the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0, with a particular emphasis on promoting cooperation in science & technology, renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture sectors.

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They described CPEC as a shining example of people-centric development, with its focus on win-win cooperation, shared benefits and common prosperity.

The two sides discussed the opportunities to strengthen institutional linkages, including through parliamentary exchanges and participation in the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultative Mechanism, to further solidify the bilateral cooperation.

Earlier, Pakistan and China reiterated their commitment to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC 2.0) high-quality development, with a focus on renewable energy, agriculture, livelihood projects, industry, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Beijing served as the venue for the fifth meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group on International Cooperation and Coordination (JWG-ICC). According to a news release from the Foreign Office, Vice Foreign Minister of China Sun Weidong and Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch co-chaired the meeting.

The crucial role that CPEC plays in fostering regional connectivity, win-win collaboration, and shared prosperity—including through collaborations with other nations—was also recognized at the summit.

The two sides reviewed with satisfaction the progress made since the fourth meeting of the JWG-ICC held in Islamabad on 21 January 2024.

The foreign secretary described CPEC as the cornerstone of China-Pakistan economic cooperation as well as a shining symbol of the enduring friendship between the two countries.

The Chinese vice foreign minister highlighted the mutually reinforcing relationship of the five new corridors introduced under CPEC 2.0, namely growth, livelihood, innovation, open and green corridor with Pakistan’s national development framework centered on 5 E’s namely, Exports, E-Pakistan, Energy, Environment and Equity.

The two sides expressed the resolve to deepen cooperation in the fields of media, cultural exchanges and people-to-people linkages to accelerate the building of China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era.