President Asif Ali Zardari begins China visit with CPEC push as ties mark 75-year milestone

President Asif Ali Zardari touched down in China just after midnight on Saturday, beginning an official visit centred on strengthening economic and trade ties, with a focus on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

According to a statement from his office, he arrived in Changsha and was received by Hu Xusheng, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hunan Provincial People’s Congress.

“[The] ambassadors of China in Pakistan and Pakistan in China were also present on the occasion,” the President’s Secretariat said.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider bade the president farewell at Allama Iqbal International Airport, according to state broadcaster Pakistan Television Corporation.

The Foreign Office, in a statement, said the president is scheduled to visit Hunan province’s Changsha from April 25 to 27, followed by Hainan province’s Sanya from April 28 to May 1.

“During the visit, the president will hold meetings with provincial leadership to review the full spectrum of Pakistan–China ties, with particular focus on economic and trade cooperation as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” the statement added.