President Asif Ali Zardari met with senior officials from China’s Xinjiang region, where discussions focused on enhancing economic and security cooperation.
President Zardari met with Chen Xiaojiang, the secretary of the Communist Party in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and the region’s governor, Erkin Tuniyaz. According to the Presidency, the meeting aimed to deepen existing ties and cooperation between the two sides.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed increasing collaboration in agriculture, manufacturing, livestock, industry, mining, and new technologies. They also emphasized their shared security concerns. Chen affirmed that China and Pakistan “would continue to maintain zero tolerance against terrorist groups targeting both countries.” President Zardari echoed this sentiment, stating that Pakistan will “continue to work with China in countering terrorism and extremism.”
Chen highlighted Xinjiang’s economic growth, noting it has become a “hub of prosperity, social stability and lasting peace,” with its GDP surpassing 5.6 trillion yuan. He said the region looks forward to deepening government-to-government and business-to-business cooperation with Pakistan, particularly in agriculture, livestock, mining, and industry.
Highlighting Xinjiang’s central role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the president encouraged greater industrial collaboration. He also pointed to the potential of Special Economic Zones in Gilgit-Baltistan, which borders the Chinese region, for further joint development.
