Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has directed the newly appointed Ambassador-designate to China, Dr. Syed Ali Asad Gilani, to enhance the strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. This directive underscores the significance of the bilateral relationship, with a focus on high-level exchanges, stronger economic cooperation, and people-to-people contacts.
According to Press Information Department, during a meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari emphasized that the bond with China is a pivotal element of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He highlighted the need to transform the existing political goodwill into more substantial economic and industrial collaboration. The President expressed support for Business to Business cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 2.0, stressing the importance of collaboration in modern agriculture, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies to facilitate skills development and job opportunities for the youth.
The President instructed Dr. Gilani to engage actively with Chinese government bodies, the Communist Party leadership, think tanks, academia, and the media to foster stronger people-to-people ties, including student exchange programs. Additionally, President Zardari anticipates the visit of President Xi Jinping to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit next year. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla was also in attendance at the meeting.