ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday departed on a weeklong visit to China focused on boosting economic cooperation and advancing projects under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of his party officials said.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan and has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under CPEC, part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“His Excellency President Asif Ali Zardari has departed for a five-day official visit to China,” Senator Sehar Kamran, who belongs to Zardari’s Pakistan Peoples Party, said in a social media post.
“The visit is part of the longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and holds special significance as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year,” she added. “It reflects the deep commitment of both nations to further strengthen the All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.”
The Pakistani president is expected to visit Changsha in Hunan province on April 25-27 and Sanya in Hainan province on April 28-May 1 on the invitation of the Chinese government, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“He will hold meetings with the provincial leadership to discuss Pakistan–China bilateral relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation and the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor,” the foreign office said.
The visit comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost trade, investment and economic cooperation with China, Gulf nations and Central Asian states in a bid to strengthen its economy, currently bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
Islamabad is seeking fresh Chinese investments under CPEC as part of efforts to position Pakistan as a regional manufacturing and investment hub.
