President Asif Ali Zardari departs for five-day official visit to China

• President will travel to Changsha and Sanya during his visit.
• Zardari to meet Chinese leadership to boost economic ties.
• Talks will focus on trade ties, CPEC projects: Foreign Office.
  

President Asif Ali Zardari departed on Saturday for a five-day official visit to China, where he would meet the Chinese leadership to advance economic and trade cooperation and the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider Khan saw off the president at Lahore airport as he left for the official trip.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement earlier today that President Zardari would be visiting the neighbouring country on the invitation of the Chinese government.

The statement added that President Zardari would travel to Changsha in Hunan province from April 25 to 27, followed by a visit to Sanya in Hainan province from April 28 to May 1.

During the visit, he will meet provincial leadership to discuss Pakistan-China bilateral relations, with a particular focus on strengthening economic and trade cooperation and advancing cooperation under the CPEC.

The visit is part of the longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and carries added significance as both countries commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

The statement concluded that the visit reflects the deep commitment of both sides to further strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

Last year, President Zardari visited China on a 10-day official trip, meeting Chinese leadership and senior officials to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation across multiple sectors.

Six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the Sindh government and business-to-business (B2B) partners in defence, energy, railway infrastructure, and agriculture, with subsequent plans for expansion across other provinces.