Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (3rd from left) poses for a group photo at Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Museum in Shaoshan, Central China's Hunan Province on April 27, 2026. Photo: VCG

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's ongoing China visit in Central China's Hunan Province is packed with high-level meetings with provincial leadership, impressive industrial tours, and concrete cooperation agreements as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

A particularly touching moment came on Monday, when President Zardari visited Shaoshan in Hunan Province on Monday where he laid a floral wreath in the rain at the bronze statue of Mao Zedong, according to the China News Service. Pakistani media outlet Daily Times highlighted that such tribute carries symbolic significance as Pakistan's leadership pays respect to the historical legacy of New China's founding figures while reaffirming diplomatic goodwill between the two nations.

President Zardari's trip from April 25 to May 1 includes visits to Hunan Province and Hainan Province, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday. 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. Bilateral relations maintain a sound momentum of robust development, Lin said. 

China stands ready to work together with Pakistan to deepen friendly exchanges and cooperation at all levels and between different localities to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future, the spokesperson said. 



Fruitful trip 

Zardari arrived in Changsha of Hunan Province, on Saturday, and was warmly welcomed by a local official, according to a post published by the office of the Pakistani president on X platform on early Sunday. 

On Sunday, he visited Sany Heavy Industry in Changsha. When seeing products such as unmanned counterbalanced forklifts, he asked, "Why haven't you been invited to Pakistan?" according to a video released by the China News Service.

In Changsha, the Pakistani president also visited Hunan Tea Group to explore Pakistan-China cooperation in agro-processing and value addition, according to a post published by the office of the Pakistani president on X platform. Zardari was briefed on the supply chain mechanism and invited the Chinese company to bring their expertise in tea cultivation and exports to Pakistan.

On late Sunday evening, Zardari personally placed the Sitara-i-Pakistan — Pakistan's highest civilian award — around the neck of Chinese doctor Prof. Pan Xiangbin in Changsha. The president warmly shook hands with him, expressing deep appreciation for Pan's outstanding contributions to cardiac care and his dedicated service to Pakistani children. 

According to a report by China News Service on Monday, this special ceremony was designed to recognize Pan's contributions to cardiac care, including treatment of Pakistani children with congenital heart disease and training of local medical professionals. Pan visited Pakistan in January 2025, according to Pakistan media reports. He and his team performed life-saving procedures on children suffering from congenital heart disease.

This is also a vivid reflection of "iron-clad brotherhood" between China and Pakistan, Chinese observers said. 

The Pakistani Foreign Office said that the president's China visit is part of the "longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and carries special significance as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year," Pakistani media outlet Dawn said in a report. 

"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, according to the Pakistani media report. 

"China-Pakistan relations have been on a stable and positive trajectory. In recent years, high-level exchanges between the two sides have been frequent, particularly with multiple visits to China by senior Pakistani officials, demonstrating close communication and coordination on major international issues, regional hotspots, and bilateral affairs," Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times.  

This visit is also part of such regular exchanges and is expected to further strengthen China-Pakistan relations, while facilitating the implementation of more substantive and concrete cooperation projects under the framework of the CPEC, Zhu added. 

According to the official X account of the office of the Pakistani president, Zardari also witnessed the signing of three MoUs in Changsha related to water desalination in Karachi, agricultural technology and tea sector cooperation, marking continued engagement between Pakistan and China in priority sectors.

The successful implementation of the CPEC served as a strong testament to the unbreakable all-weather strategic bond between Pakistan and China, Pakistan's Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said, Xinhua reported on April 3. 

The partnership, rooted in trust, is strengthened through cooperation and enhanced by a shared vision of prosperity, said the minister while addressing the Annual Award Ceremony for Outstanding Pakistani and Chinese Staff of CPEC Projects 2026 recently, per Xinhua.

CPEC is now entering the second phase, marking a strategic shift from infrastructure development to industrialization, innovation and inclusive growth, Iqbal said, according to Xinhua. 

Positive momentum 

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, the two countries have been maintaining positive cooperation momentum in various aspects such as aerospace. 

Two Pakistani astronauts have arrived in China and entered the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing on Friday to join training alongside their Chinese peers, the China Manned Space Agency announced on April 24, the annual Space Day of China.

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud were selected as the final candidates following the completion of the first selection of foreign astronauts for China's manned space program in early April, the agency said in an earlier statement. 

Also, China launched a Pakistani satellite, named PRSC-EO3, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday, Xinhua reported. 

On regional and international hot-spot issues, China and Pakistan are also showing alignment in positions, offering peaceful and constructive voices in solidarity.

For example, on March 31, China and Pakistan put forward five proposals on restoring peace and stability in the Gulf region and the Middle East during talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

The recent frequent visits to and engagement with China by Pakistani high-level officials including the president himself reflect both the strategic alignment over regional and international issues and high mutual trust between the two countries. And these regular exchanges also allow China and Pakistan to coordinate positions efficiently, respond jointly to complex regional challenges, deepen mutual trust, and strengthen consensus, signaling a broad and promising future for bilateral relations, Chinese observers noted.