Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s five-day official visit to China. The visit concluded with the launch of the Action Plan to Foster an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era (2025–2029).
Strengthening Political Trust and All-Weather Friendship
Ambassador Jiang said the plan would serve as a roadmap for advancing all-weather strategic cooperation, focusing on deeper political trust, closer trade ties, stronger security coordination, and greater people-to-people exchanges.
Quoting President Xi Jinping, he highlighted that China and Pakistan enjoy an “ironclad friendship forged through historical twists and turns”, which continues to grow stronger.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, during his meetings with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang, stressed that the bond between the two countries is rooted in the hearts of over 200 million Pakistanis and “no force can shake this unbreakable friendship.”
High-Level Exchanges Boost Cooperation
Over the past year, multiple visits, including those by PM Shehbaz in June, President Asif Ali Zardari in February, and former Premier Li Qiang in October, have helped both sides align strategies on regional stability and bilateral growth.
Ambassador Jiang underlined that trust at the leadership level remains the cornerstone of ties, enabling progress on long-term cooperation frameworks.
Economic and CPEC 2.0 Milestones
Highlighting economic cooperation, Ambassador Jiang quoted President Xi’s assurance that China supports Pakistan in maintaining unity, focusing on development, and strengthening national capacity.
He reiterated Beijing’s readiness to work with Islamabad on CPEC 2.0 and an upgraded China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.
This year has already seen notable achievements, including the launch of the New Gwadar International Airport, operation of the China-donated seawater desalination plant, production at the Rashakai Special Economic Zone, and the launch of Pakistan’s PRSS-1 satellite from China.
Pakistani exports such as beef, seafood, and fruit are also gaining greater access to the Chinese market.
Building a Shared Future
Ambassador Jiang described the 2025–2029 Action Plan as the “general guideline, roadmap and construction plan” for enhancing bilateral ties. He said the vision reflects a mutual resolve to build an even closer partnership in the new era.
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