Iron Brothers China and Pakistan Celebrate 75 Years of "Unbreakable" Friendship

by Riaz Haq

May 25

President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have met today in Beijing to reaffirm the "unbreakable" bond between their two "iron brother" countries on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Pakistan diplomatic ties. "No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always place priority on the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighboring countries," he said. Over 7 decades of friendship witnessed Pakistan help bring about the US-China rapprochement that has enabled the Asian giant to grow from international isolation to what President Donald Trump recently declared part of "G2", the exclusive group of two real superpowers in the world today. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's three-day visit to China has seen the signing of multiple agreements to further strengthened strategic and economic relations between two Asian neighbors. These deals are aimed at developing Pakistan's digital economy and renewable energy sectors. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (L) with President Xi Jinping


Digital Economy:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif began his 3-day official visit to China with the city of Hangzhou where he was warmly welcomed by Chinese officials. He led a business-to-business (B2B) investment conference with private business leaders from China and Pakistan.  Hangzhou is known for its huge digital economy, e-commerce dominance, and an aggressive push into "future technologies" like embodied AI, robotics, and drones. It is home to the Chinese tech giant Alibaba. 
Prime Minister Sharif visited Alibaba’s headquarters where he forged a comprehensive strategic agreement with the tech giant's Chairman Tsai "right now" to accelerate Pakistan's digital economy. The deal covers AI infrastructure, cloud computing, digital payments and e-commerce.  
Renewable Energy:
Prime Minister Sharif also received CATL Executive Vice President Oscar Lou in Hangzhou. CATL is a leading manufacturer of advanced batteries used for energy storage and electric vehicles. Sharif invited CATL and other renewable energy equipment makers to invest in Pakistan to respond to the growing needs of the country. 
In a meeting with Sheng Huo Neng Yuan Ke Ji Company CEO Agnes Siu, discussions focused on cooperation in the renewable energy sector, particularly solar power. The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s growing renewable energy market and government measures aimed at facilitating investment in the sector. He also met with Danwei Shao, the Chairwoman of Starcharge Group, to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure and smart mobility systems in Pakistan. 
Sharif argued that the industries where China was no longer competitive because of expensive labor could come to Pakistan, bring in plant and machinery, enter into joint ventures with Pakistani entrepreneurs, manufacture goods, and export to third countries.
Other Industries:
Sharif pitched for Chinese investments and cooperation in other key sectors, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and mining. 
President Xin Yuan of Xiuzheng Pharmaceuticals called on the prime minister and discussed pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare cooperation and investment opportunities in Pakistan’s growing medical sector.
Sharif promoted a number of special economic zones (SEZs) created by the Pakistan government, Specifically, he mentioned a special economic zone in Karachi spread over more than 6,000 acres of land, where all basic amenities would be provided so that Chinese investors and Pakistani entrepreneurs together could invest there.
Beijing Visit:
Prime Minister Sharif and his team flew from Hangzhou to Beijing to meet with the top Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. 
President Xi told the visitors that China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. "No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will always place priority on the development of China-Pakistan relations in its diplomacy with neighboring countries," he said.
Foreign Minister Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, held a meeting with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir. No matter how the international and regional situation changes, the friendship between China and Pakistan has always been as solid as a rock and unbreakable, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said to him on Monday.
Joint Statement:
At the conclusion of Prime Minister Sharif's China visit, a joint China-Pakistan statement said the two nations have reached a “new broad consensus” ⁠on deepening strategic ⁠ties to bolster the development of a joint economic corridor and establish the port of Gwadar as a regional connectivity hub. “The two sides engaged cordially and reached a new broad consensus on further deepening the China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the statement said. 
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    yesterday