Call for new era of China-Pakistan ties

Envoy reaffirms Beijing's commitment to strengthening partnership with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong has reaffirmed China's commitment to deepening its all-weather strategic partnership with Pakistan, saying both countries will work together to accelerate the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0 and strengthen cooperation in economic development, governance and regional stability.

In a signed article marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Ambassador Jiang highlighted the party's role in transforming China into one of the world's largest economies and outlined Beijing's vision for expanding bilateral cooperation with Pakistan.

The ambassador said the CPC, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, had overseen remarkable economic and social progress, including the elimination of extreme rural poverty, rapid industrialisation and the establishment of the world's largest education, healthcare and social security systems.

He noted that China's GDP had grown to 140.2 trillion yuan in 2025, while the economy expanded by five per cent during the first quarter of this year despite global economic challenges.

Jiang said China remained committed to promoting global peace, development and shared prosperity through initiatives including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

Highlighting the importance of Pakistan in China's foreign policy, the ambassador described CPEC as the flagship project of the BRI, saying it had attracted more than $25.9 billion in direct investment, created over 260,000 jobs, added more than 8,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, constructed 510 kilometres of expressways and developed 886 kilometres of national transmission lines.

He said the corridor had become a model of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and made a significant contribution to Pakistan's economic and social development.

Referring to Pakistan's recent economic performance, Jiang welcomed the country's reported 3.7 per cent GDP growth during fiscal year 2025-26, describing it as evidence of improving macroeconomic stability. He also praised the expansion of Pakistan's services and manufacturing sectors and noted the increase in per capita income as positive signs for the country's development.