SHANGHAI: President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday met Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanghai, Chen Jining, flanked by First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
In a statement from the Presidency, Chen Jining welcomed President Zardari and said, “if you ask any Chinese about Pakistan, they will always say Pakistan is our all-weather friend and iron brother.”
He recalled the president’s productive meeting with President Xi Jinping earlier this year, and the recent visit of Pakistan’s prime minister to China, noting that both sides now look forward to marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year.
President Zardari reaffirmed that Pakistan-China ties are unshakeable, saying that while spoilers and hostile elements may try to harm the relationship, they will never succeed. He stressed that the bilateral friendship will continue to grow from generation-to-generation.
Chen Jining also briefed the President on Shanghai’s transformation. Once a manufacturing hub, the city has become a major centre of the service industry, with significant investments in healthcare and education, resulting in higher life expectancy than other parts of China. He also noted that Shanghai is home to more than nine thousand coffee shops, the largest number in any single city worldwide.
The meeting also discussed opportunities for industrial collaboration in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones and Gwadar Free Zone, particularly in technology, IT, artificial intelligence and innovation.
Later, Chen Jining hosted a dinner in honour of the President and his delegation.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, and China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong were also present.
On the Chinese side, the meeting was attended by Hua Yuan, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee Zhu Zhaokai, the President of Shanghai Electric, and other senior officials. –Agencies
