Pakistan–China ties enter new phase of practical cooperation as PM Shehbaz meets Zhejiang leadership

HANGZHOU: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a high-level meeting with Wang Hao, Party Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee, in Hangzhou, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation and deepening provincial-level linkages between Pakistan and China.

Welcoming the Prime Minister to Zhejiang Province, Wang Hao underscored the importance of continued engagement between the two sides at the sub-national level.

The prime minister lauded Zhejiang’s remarkable transformation and development achievements while paying tribute to the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping, particularly the guiding principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

He noted that Zhejiang’s experience reflected a successful model where ecological preservation, green development, and high-quality economic growth reinforce one another.

He emphasized that Pakistan attached great importance to strengthening cooperation with Zhejiang Province across multiple sectors, including the digital economy, e-commerce, information technology, telecommunications, agriculture, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and skills development.

Highlighting the significance of provincial partnerships, the Prime Minister said such cooperation forms a vital pillar of Pakistan–China relations and could play a transformative role in advancing the next phase of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), particularly in industrial collaboration, agricultural modernization, technological exchange, and export-oriented growth.

During the visit, the Prime Minister witnessed the signing of two key cooperation agreements.

The first was a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a sister-province relationship between Zhejiang Province and Punjab Province, aimed at promoting collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The second was a Document of Understanding between Hangzhou Normal University and the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing for the establishment of the China–Pakistan Joint Technology Research Centre. The centre will strengthen academic cooperation, applied research, technology transfer, and institutional partnerships between the two countries.

Marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, the Prime Minister said both countries were now entering a new phase of practical, people-centric, and development-oriented cooperation.