- NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq leads three-day parliamentary delegation to Beijing
- First-ever formal written understanding to institutionalize Pakistan-China parliamentary ties
- Agreements to focus on committee cooperation, best practices and training of political workers
- China expresses strong interest in Pakistan’s exports, mineral, and agriculture sectors
- CPEC 2.0 to move forward after delays from 2018 to 2022, Sadiq assures Chinese leadership
BEIJING: Pakistan and China have agreed to establish a formal working relationship to further strengthen parliamentary cooperation, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) after separate meetings with Chairman of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Zhao Leji and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Huning, Sadiq described the discussions as “highly productive.”
He said both sides had agreed to cooperate closely and are working on formal agreements to institutionalize parliamentary collaboration. “We are proposing some agreements which we will draft and share with the Chinese side, and they have shown strong interest in adopting them,” he noted.
The proposed agreements will focus on learning from each other’s parliamentary practices, enhancing collaboration in international parliamentary forums, and developing mechanisms for sustained engagement between the two legislatures.
Sadiq highlighted that discussions also included training of Pakistani political workers at China’s Communist Party School, exchange visits of parliamentarians, virtual meetings between parliamentary committees, parliamentary functioning, and sharing of best practices.
He emphasized that this would be the first time in Pakistan’s history that the two parliaments would establish a formal working relationship through a written understanding, moving beyond occasional visits. Parliamentary committees—especially those dealing with industry, agriculture, and mining—can now hold joint sessions to explore Pakistan’s economic potential.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in exports, mineral and mining resources, and agriculture, with Chinese leadership expressing strong interest in expanding collaboration in these sectors.
The NA speaker said regular virtual meetings between standing committees—including agriculture, defence, petroleum, and mines and minerals—would guide both governments in advancing bilateral cooperation. “The more interaction there is between committees, the better we can support our governments in moving forward together,” he said.
On CPEC 2.0, the Speaker acknowledged that progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor had slowed between 2018 and 2022 but reassured the Chinese side that CPEC 2.0 will move forward. He added that Pakistan would continue to work within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, pursuing collaboration wherever it aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision and the shared interests of both governments.
Speaker Sadiq is leading a three-day parliamentary delegation on an official visit to China at the special invitation of Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress.
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