Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China.
Speaking at a reception marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he highlighted the deep ties between the two countries.
This year also marks the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations.
CPEC 2.0 Focuses on New Economic Sectors
The prime minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is entering a new phase known as CPEC 2.0.
He highlighted several priority areas, including:
- Industrialization
- Special Economic Zones
- Information technology and artificial intelligence
- Agriculture
- Mining and minerals
Moreover, Shehbaz said Pakistan remained committed to implementing agreements reached by the leadership of both countries.
China Supports Pakistan’s Agricultural Sector
Agricultural cooperation also featured prominently in the prime minister’s remarks.
Shehbaz said the first group of 1,000 Pakistani agriculture graduates had completed training in China. Another 1,000 graduates are preparing to participate in the program.
He described the initiative as an investment in the skills and future of Pakistani youth.
Bilateral Trade Reaches $16.44 Billion
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong highlighted the growing economic relationship between the two countries.
He said bilateral trade reached $16.44 billion between January and July, representing a 13.4% year-on-year increase.
Meanwhile, agricultural trade reached around $830 million from January to August, rising 45% year-on-year.
The ambassador also said China remained Pakistan’s largest source of foreign investment, accounting for 60.7% of total foreign investment attracted by Pakistan, including Hong Kong.
China Backs CPEC 2.0 and Free Trade
Ambassador Jiang said China would work with Pakistan to deepen cooperation in industry, agriculture, and mining.
He also reaffirmed support for the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0 and an upgraded China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.
In addition, China plans several livelihood projects in Balochistan.
These include the construction of 100 clean water stations, upgrading 1,000 smart classrooms, and distributing 100,000 school kits.
Cooperation in Health, Education and Climate
The two countries also plan to expand cooperation beyond economic sectors.
China will strengthen collaboration with Pakistan in health, education, climate change, and other areas. The sides will also expand exchanges among universities, think tanks, youth, and women.
Furthermore, Ambassador Jiang said China would deepen defence, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan.
Pakistan-China Partnership Enters a New Phase
The reception highlighted the broad scope of the Pakistan-China strategic partnership. Both sides emphasized economic development, youth skills, technology, agriculture, and regional cooperation.
As Pakistan and China mark 75 years of diplomatic relations, CPEC 2.0 is emerging as a major framework for their next phase of economic cooperation.
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