ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday met with Communist Party Secretary of China’s Hunan province Shen Xiaoming and attended a banquet hosted in his honor by Governor Mao Weiming, Zardari’s office said, with the engagements focused on advancing bilateral cooperation in agriculture, health, education and trade.
The development comes amid Zardari’s week-long visit to China, which began on Saturday, to strengthen trade, economic and strategic cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor between the two countries.
During his meeting with Party Secretary Shen, the president emphasized Hunan’s strengths in agricultural technology and equipment, noting their relevance to Pakistan’s efforts to enhance productivity.
“He expressed interest in closer collaboration in seed technology, agricultural research and modern farming practices, and highlighted the potential for expanding bilateral trade in areas such as agricultural machinery, minerals processing, and information and communication technologies,” Zardari’s office said, adding that the regional situation also came under discussion.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan, pledging over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under CPEC, part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. Islamabad has also taken China into confidence about its recent efforts to mediate the war between the United States and Iran, with Beijing backing Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.
Speaking at the banquet, Governor Mao described Pakistan and China as “good brothers” and said Hunan province would continue to contribute sincerely to the development of CPEC, according to a statement issued from Zardari’s office.
In his remarks, President Zardari noted significant potential for enhanced cooperation between Pakistan and China’s Hunan province, particularly in areas observed during the visit.
The Pakistan president, who arrived in Hunan late Saturday, earlier visited Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. in Changsha and Hunan Tea Group Co. Ltd. He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in industrial technology, skill development and joint ventures that could support Pakistan’s infrastructure and industrial growth.
Zardari underscored the scope for cooperation in value addition, agro-processing and export development, and invited Chinese companies to explore opportunities for collaboration with Pakistan in these areas.
