CHANGSHA, China: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in China just after midnight on Saturday for an official visit focused on economic and trade cooperation, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The President’s Secretariat said Zardari landed in Changsha, Hunan province, where Hu Xusheng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress, received him.
The ambassadors of China to Pakistan and Pakistan to China were also present at the reception, according to the President’s Secretariat. State broadcaster Pakistan Television Corporation said Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider saw the president off at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore before his departure.
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The Foreign Office said Zardari would visit Changsha from April 25 to 27 and Sanya, Hainan province, from April 28 to May 1. During the visit, the president will meet provincial leadership to review Pakistan-China relations, with a focus on trade, economic cooperation and CPEC, the Foreign Office said.
The ministry said the trip was part of the longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. The Foreign Office said the visit reflected both sides’ commitment to strengthening their strategic cooperative partnership.
Zardari travelled to China last year on a 10-day official visit, during which he met senior Chinese leaders and discussed expanded cooperation across multiple sectors. During that visit, six memoranda of understanding were signed between the Sindh government and business partners in agriculture, defence, energy, rail connectivity and farmer training.
