BEIJING: President Asif Ali Zardari met with Mr. Chen Xiaojiang, the Communist Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, during his visit to Urumqi. The meeting was also attended by Erkin Tuniyaz, the Governor of Xinjiang, as confirmed by an official statement from the President’s House.
During the discussions, Chen Xiaojiang warmly welcomed President Zardari and reminisced about his previous visit to Urumqi in 2011 for an expo. He also mentioned Zardari’s visit to Beijing in February of this year, where he met President Xi Jinping and signed multiple agreements and MoUs across various sectors. The Chinese official highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent trip to China for the SCO Summit and the 80th Anniversary of Victory over Fascism, emphasizing the acceleration of CPEC’s second phase through agreements worth billions in industries such as agriculture, mining, and more.
Chen emphasized Xinjiang’s development into a region of prosperity, stability, and peace, with a GDP exceeding 5.6 trillion yuan. He discussed progress in agriculture and livestock sectors and efforts to address extremism and terrorism. The official also noted recent visits by the Governor of Balochistan and the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan to Xinjiang.
He further mentioned the existence of eight sister-city partnerships between Pakistan and China, including Urumqi and Peshawar, and expressed Xinjiang’s eagerness to deepen bilateral cooperation in fields such as agriculture, mining, and industry. Chen reaffirmed China and Pakistan’s joint commitment to zero tolerance toward terrorist groups and their willingness to collaborate closely on security and counter-terrorism efforts.
In his remarks, President Zardari expressed his pleasure at returning to Xinjiang and praised the region’s progress and unity. He reaffirmed that the Pakistan-China friendship remains a fundamental pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The President emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to working with China on counter-terrorism and to expanding cooperation in agriculture, industry, livestock, and technology sectors. He expressed optimism about stronger cultural and economic ties, especially through improved connectivity between Xinjiang and Pakistan’s northern regions.
Zardari also highlighted Xinjiang’s strategic importance within CPEC and encouraged enhanced industrial and agricultural collaboration, especially in the development of Special Economic Zones in Gilgit-Baltistan. He invited Xinjiang residents to visit Pakistan’s northern areas and reaffirmed Pakistan’s role as China’s most dependable partner and ally.
The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Chen Xiaojiang in honor of President Zardari and his delegation. Attendees included Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh Energy Minister Nasir Shah, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, and the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan.
