Mianyang/Shanghai:
President Asif Ali Zardari spent Sunday deepening the strategic association of Pakistan with China, touring a flagship aviation complex and experiencing the high -speed rail network of the country first hand.
The president’s activities are part of his current state visit in China, which began on Friday and focuses on improving bilateral ties, including the additional development of the China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC).
In a significant demonstration of the close cooperation of Defense of Nations, Zardari, constitutionally, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, visited the Chinese Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). This marked a historic first, since no foreign head of state had previously visited the complex.
During the tour, the president reaffirmed that Pakistan and China would continue to expand collaboration in defense production and aviation, further deepening his strategic cooperative association for all climate.
He highlighted the critical role of existing projects, noting that the J-10 and JF-17 had greatly strengthened the Pakistan Air Force, a fact clearly demonstrated during ‘Marka-E-HAQ’ of May 2025 and ‘Operation Bunyanum Marsoos’.
He was informed about Avic’s advanced capabilities, including the J-10C combat plane that played a crucial role during the recent conflict with India, the co-production of the JF-17 Thunder, as well as the progress in the 5th J-20 stealth-generation combat plane.
The president was also informed about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and integrated command and control systems. Zardari praised Avic as a symbol of the technological advance of China and the lasting strategic association between the two nations.
Early in the day, the president traveled from Chengdu to Mianyang on a high -speed train, covering the trip in about half an hour. During the train trip, he was informed about his operations, service, security systems and environmental advantages.
The officials stressed that China now operates the largest high speed rail network in the world of more than 45,000 kilometers of dedicated road, with more than 2 billion passengers annually with trains that operate up to 350 km/h.
The president praised China’s achievements in sustainable and resistant transport, including electrical propulsion without pollution and early alert technologies of earthquakes, describing them as a wonder of rail engineering.
He pointed out that such innovations offered valuable lessons for other countries, including Pakistan. President Zardari then arrived in Shanghai on Sunday night, where he was warmly received by Chinese officials.
The Pakistan-China relationship, established in 1950 and described as a “strategic cooperative association for all climate”, is also an important economic channel; The bilateral commercial volume exceeded $ 23 billion in 2024.
China has become the largest weapons supplier in Pakistan, and the progress of this association, including the Chinese-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project of $ 64 billion, is a central focus of the president’s visit, which will continue to Xinjiang.
The president was accompanied during the events of the day by a delegation, including the president of the Popular Party of Pakistan (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the first lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Senator Salem Mandviwalo and the Ambatores of both nations.
