Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan and China are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties and moving toward deeper cooperation under CPEC 2.0.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping and the people of China on the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, describing Pakistan-China friendship as a relationship that has stood the test of time.
Addressing a ceremony marking China’s National Day, Shehbaz Sharif said it was a pleasure to participate in the celebrations and praised China’s role in promoting global peace, stability and development.
He said China had made remarkable progress in human development, science, technology and innovation under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.
The prime minister noted that 2026 held special significance for Pakistan-China relations as the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
“Our hearts are connected and beat together,” Shehbaz said, adding that the friendship between the two countries had endured natural disasters and other challenges, including earthquakes, storms and floods.
He described the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a manifestation of the longstanding friendship between the two countries and their shared commitment to building a more prosperous and developed future for their peoples.
The prime minister said Pakistan was now entering the next phase of CPEC, known as CPEC 2.0, with a focus on industrialization, special economic zones, information technology and artificial intelligence, agriculture, mining and minerals.
Shehbaz also welcomed progress in agricultural cooperation. He said the first group of 1,000 Pakistani agricultural graduates had completed their training in China, while another group of 1,000 was preparing to travel to the country.
He described the training as a valuable investment in the capabilities and future of Pakistan’s youth.
The prime minister said Pakistan-China relations remained a fundamental pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Referring to his conversation with President Xi Jinping in May, he called it a strong reaffirmation of the two countries’ longstanding friendship and said Pakistan was fully committed to implementing the understandings reached by their leadership.
Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong also addressed the ceremony, describing China and Pakistan as “all-weather strategic cooperative partners.”
The ambassador said Pakistan was playing an increasingly important role internationally because of its principled positions, broad global vision and diplomatic insight. He said Pakistan had supported multilateralism and international cooperation and contributed to regional and international peace and security.
Jiang said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had strongly defended Pakistan’s national interests during his address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and presented Pakistan’s positions on international and regional issues.
He said the past 75 years demonstrated that China and Pakistan had stood by each other in both good and difficult times, adding that the two countries had remained together like brothers.
The ambassador also highlighted Shehbaz Sharif’s emphasis on practical cooperation between Pakistan and China across various sectors.
The ceremony reaffirmed the longstanding bilateral relationship and the two countries’ stated intention to deepen cooperation in the next phase of their partnership.
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