Islamabad, October 1, 2026: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong has reaffirmed China’s commitment to further deepening its all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with Pakistan, saying Beijing is ready to work with Islamabad to advance CPEC Phase-II and expand cooperation in industry, agriculture, mining, security and other areas.
Addressing a reception in Islamabad to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Jiang welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and other distinguished guests.
The ambassador thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz for attending the reception shortly after returning to Pakistan from a foreign visit, saying his presence reflected the importance he attached to China-Pakistan relations and his friendship with the Chinese people.
Highlighting China’s economic development, Jiang said the country’s GDP grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year during the first half of the year. He said China had also continued to make progress in renewable energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles and other emerging industries.
Turning to Pakistan, the Chinese envoy said the country’s economy had demonstrated growing resilience and vitality, citing improvements in foreign exchange reserves, foreign direct investment, services and IT exports, business registrations and remittances.
He also appreciated Pakistan’s role in international affairs, particularly its engagement at the United Nations and its assumption of the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Ambassador Jiang noted that 2026 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, describing the two countries as “ironclad brothers” who had stood by each other through difficult times.
He said high-level exchanges between the two countries had continued throughout the year, including a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in China in May.
According to the ambassador, bilateral trade reached $16.44 billion during January-July, registering a 13.4 percent year-on-year increase. He said agricultural trade had also recorded significant growth, while China remained among the leading sources of foreign investment in Pakistan.
Jiang said China and Pakistan would focus on three priority sectors—industry, agriculture and mining—to promote the high-quality development of CPEC Phase-II and expand trade and investment cooperation.
He outlined five areas for further cooperation: strengthening strategic mutual trust, deepening practical economic cooperation, addressing livelihood needs, enhancing defence, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, and maintaining close international coordination.
The Chinese envoy said Beijing would also support livelihood projects in Balochistan, including the construction of 100 clean-water stations, upgrading 1,000 smart classrooms and distributing 100,000 school kits.
He reaffirmed China’s resolve to expand cooperation with Pakistan in health, education, climate change and people-to-people exchanges, while further strengthening coordination on regional and international issues.
“Standing at a new historical starting point, we are ready to work with Pakistan to further deepen our ironclad friendship and all-round cooperation,” Ambassador Jiang said.
He expressed confidence that China and Pakistan would accelerate efforts to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future and bring greater benefits to the peoples of both countries.
The ambassador concluded by congratulating the Chinese people on the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and expressing wishes for lasting friendship, prosperity and well-being for China, Pakistan and their peoples.
