Jiang Zaidong<\/p>\n
From September 12th to 21st, President Asif Ali Zardari was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum, and subsequently paid visits to Sichuan Province, Shanghai Municipality, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This marked President Zardari\u2019s second visit to China following his state visit in February this year \u2013 a vivid testament to his profound affection for the Chinese people and great importance attached to China-Pakistan relations. As President Zardari penned in his article for China Daily, \u201cAs I recall my frequent visits to China in the past several decades, I have always considered China my home away from home. The warmth and hospitality extended to me and my family, and the staunch and steadfast support given to the people of Pakistan on every occasion are cherished impressions etched in my memory.\u201d During this journey to his \u201chome away from home\u201d, President Zardari traversed three provincial-level administrative regions, visited four destinations, met with heads of local governments, and engaged with ordinary Chinese citizens. This trip has added new chapters to the legendary China-Pakistan friendship, advanced practical bilateral cooperation, and deepened the bond between our two peoples.
\nThis is a journey of civilization and innovation, shaped by mutual commitment. At the opening ceremony of the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum held in Chengdu, Sichuan, President Zardari delivered a speech, praising the forum for using the universal language of art to bridge divides and connects communities across the globe. He emphasized that this stands as a vivid practice of the Global Civilization Initiative, embodying the concepts of diversity of civilizations, equality among cultures, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural dialogue as a counter to narratives of a clash of civilizations. This not only underscores the profound significance of the Golden Panda Forum in fostering mutual learning among world civilizations, but also directly conveys the earnest aspirations of the two peoples to deepen China-Pakistan people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
\nWe are delighted to witness a host of heartwarming interactions between the two nations: the film BaTie Girl graced screens in both countries; the Gandhara Art Exhibition made its debut to the Palace Museum in China; Pakistani mangoes became a sensation among Chinese netizens; the \u201cTea for Harmony\u201d cultural activity won widespread popularity in Pakistan; numerous Chinese universities now offer Urdu programs while a \u201cStudy-in-China\u201d fever sweeps through Pakistan\u2019s younger generation; the CPEC Consortium of Universities, boasting over 130 members, was officially established; and First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari had an intimate encounter with giant pandas in Chengdu. Through these tangible actions, China and Pakistan are putting into practice the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and Islamic civilization, and embedding the all-weather friendship between the two countries deeply in the hearts of their peoples.
\nDuring his stay in Sichuan, President Zardari took the Fuxing high-speed train from Chengdu to Mianyang, experiencing firsthand the high-quality operation and top-tier services of China\u2019s high-speed rail network. President Zardari and his delegation spoke highly of this \u201cmiracle of railway engineering\u201d, lauded China\u2019s strength in scientific and technological innovation, and expressed eager anticipation for China and Pakistan to accelerate the joint construction of the Corridor of Innovation, continuously enriching and expanding the connotation of their all-weather strategic cooperation.
\nIn recent years, China-Pakistan cooperation in science and technology has made steady progress: the cultivation of low-erucic acid & low glucosinolates rapeseed (Brassica napus) in Pakistan has yielded high outputs; 1,000 Pakistani agricultural graduates have pursued further studies in China; the Orange Line has become a iconic landmark in Lahore, the \u201cGarden City\u201d; the first overseas project of the Hualong One nuclear power technology has been put into operation in Karachi; an agreement on joint selection and training of astronauts has been signed; and China has helped Pakistan successfully launch remote-sensing satellites. China stands ready to further align supply and demand with Pakistan, achieve mutual complementarity, and unlock greater potential for the China-Pakistan Corridor of Innovation to elevate its quality and scale.
\nThis is a journey of enlightenment and collaboration, forged by joint endeavor. During his visit to the the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai, President Zardari wrote in the visitor\u2019s book: \u201cIt all began here 104 years ago. This memorial tells us about the historical role played by the CPC in liberation and rise of China on the globe as the major global power. Thanks to President Xi Jinping that China has become a major global economic power, and China-Pakistan friendship has developed at a great speed.\u201d We express our sincere gratitude for these kind words. As President Zardari noted, since its founding, the CPC has been unswervingly dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Particularly since the 18th National Congress of CPC, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the cause of the Party and the country has achieved historic millstones, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process.
\nCurrently, both China and Pakistan are in a critical phase of development and rejuvenation, and both are dedicated to fulfilling their people\u2019s aspirations for a better life. China is willing to further strengthen exchanges on governance experience with Pakistan, draw wisdom from each other\u2019s development journeys, and work together to embark on a new journey toward modernization.
\nDuring his stay in Shanghai, President Zardari experienced the vibrant vitality of this modern metropolis firsthand. He made a special trip to Shanghai Electric Group and witnessed the signing of cooperation documents. As China\u2019s economic and financial hub and a frontier of reform and opening-up, Shanghai plays a pivotal role in all-round China-Pakistan cooperation. The annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai attracts numerous Pakistani enterprises, effectively boosting the export of high-quality Pakistani products to China. Shanghai Electric\u2019s investment and operation of the Thar Engro Coal Power Project have not only helped Pakistan leverage its own resource endowments to enhance energy security, but also made positive contributions to local employment and income growth, especially for women. Chinese financial institutions such as the Shanghai Stock Exchange have acquired stakes in the Pakistan Stock Exchange, deepening financial cooperation between the two countries. Since becoming sister cities in 1984, Shanghai and Karachi have continuously elevated the level of exchanges and cooperation. China is ready to work with Pakistan to effectively implement the consensuses reached by the two countries\u2019 leaders, give full play to the comprehensive effects of the CPEC, focus on cooperation in the three key areas of industry, agriculture, and mining, expand cooperation in emerging fields, deepen local and cultural exchanges, and inject new impetus into the growth of bilateral cooperation.
\nThis is a journey of friendship and testimony, anchored in brotherhood. The final stop of President Zardari\u2019s China visit was Xinjiang, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Amid a grand, warm, and joyful atmosphere, the President visited Urumqi and Kashgar. He toured the Xinjiang Islamic Institute, engaged in cordial exchanges with local Muslims, and witnessed the vivid practice of all ethnic groups closely united as \u201cpomegranate seeds that stick together\u201d to build and share a harmonious community. He visited Urumqi\u2019s Urban Operations and Management Center, seeing firsthand how information technology and smart solutions better serve society and benefit the people. He offered prayers at the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, experiencing the well-preserved religious traditions and customs of local Muslims. He visited the Kashgar Comprehensive Bonded Zone, witnessing the cooperative links that connect Xinjiang with neighboring regions of Pakistan a joint drive for coordinated development. He also visited Kashi University, had friendly interactions with Pakistani students studying there, and encouraged the young scholars to acquire knowledge and skills, serve their motherland, and promote China-Pakistan friendship.
\nDuring his stay in Xinjiang, President Zardari shared his deep sentiments: \u201cReturning to Xinjiang after many years, I am very pleased to see the tremendous development achievements here. I will encourage more people from all walks of life in Pakistan to visit Xinjiang, and continue to deepen and expand the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan.\u201d These words, coming from an old friend of the Chinese people who has seen and compared Xinjiang\u2019s past and present, represent a high recognition of Xinjiang\u2019s economic and social development achievements.
\nSince the 18th National Congress of CPC, under the care of President Xi Jinping, Xinjiang has entered a historic period of the best development, the most profound changes, and the greatest benefits for people of all ethnic groups. In 2024, the GDP of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region exceeded the 2 trillion RMB mark for the first time, the per capita disposable income of residents surpassed 30,000 RMB, public satisfaction with security reached 99.42%, and the number of tourists visiting Xinjiang exceeded 300 million, turning Xinjiang a \u201cdreamy poetry of faraway lands\u201d admired by people in China and abroad. Xinjiang has not only refuted false propaganda and smears with facts, but also provided a model for other countries in balancing development and security with its impressive achievements. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and iron-clad friends. The time-honored friendship is a precious asset of the two countries and their peoples. From the hometown of giant pandas to the banks of the Huangpu River, from the \u201cRed Site\u201d of the CPC\u2019s founding to the beautiful land of Xinjiang, President Zardari\u2019s journey across mountains and seas to his \u201chome away from home\u201d has once again added a new chapter to the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan.
\nChina is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important outcomes of President Zardari\u2019s visit, advance the Action Plan to Foster an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future in the New Era (2025-2029), set an example for building a community with a shared future among neighboring countries, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
\nThe writer is Ambassador of People\u2019s Republic of China in Islamabad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jiang Zaidong From September 12th to 21st, President Asif Ali Zardari was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025 Golden Panda International Cultural Forum, and subsequently paid visits to Sichuan Province, Shanghai Municipality, and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This marked President Zardari\u2019s second visit to China following his state visit in February […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13015],"class_list":{"0":"post-504848","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-jiang-zaidong"},"yoast_head":"\n