President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday voiced hope that expanding linkages between China’s Xinjiang region and Pakistan’s northern areas would help cement cultural and economic ties between the two countries.
Meeting Communist Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Chen Xiaojiang in Urumqi, the president said he looked forward to the day when Pakistan and China could be easily accessed by road.
He reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to working with Beijing against terrorism and extremism, while enhancing cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing, livestock, industry, mining and emerging technologies.
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Underscoring Xinjiang’s central role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Zardari urged greater industrial and agricultural collaboration and pointed to the opportunities offered by Special Economic Zones in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He also invited people from Xinjiang to visit Pakistan’s northern regions, declaring that Pakistan “will always remain China’s most reliable partner and trusted friend.”
Chen, in his remarks, highlighted Xinjiang’s transformation into a hub of prosperity and stability, reporting that its GDP had surpassed 5.6 trillion yuan. He said the region was advancing in agriculture and livestock while addressing the root causes of extremism and terrorism.
He expressed readiness to deepen government-to-government and business-to-business cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in agriculture, livestock, mining and industry, while reaffirming support for closer collaboration on security and counter-terrorism.
Read more: President Zardari reaffirms Pakistan’s support for China’s vision of cultural exchange
Last week, President Zardari reaffirmed that Pakistan and China would continue to expand collaboration in defence production and aviation, further deepening their all-weather strategic partnership.
He said the J-10 and JF-17 had greatly strengthened the Pakistan Air Force, a fact clearly demonstrated during May 2025’s Marka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos.
