Shehbaz Sharif Congratulates Chinese Leadership and People on 77th National Day
CPEC 2.0 to Accelerate Pakistan’s Industrial and Economic Development: Prime Minister Shehbaz
Pakistan-China Economic Cooperation Gains Fresh Momentum, Says Ambassador Jiang
Islamabad – 30 September 2026 (Adnan Hameed) : Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Pakistan commemorate the 77th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China in Islamabad in a local hotel in Federal Capital Islamabad where the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif graced the event as a Cheif Guest.
Addressing a ceremony, the prime minister said the Pakistan-China friendship had stood the test of time and remained a shining example of mutual trust, cooperation and shared prosperity.
Shehbaz termed Pakistan-China relations as “excellent” and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries, saying that the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was progressing in full swing and would provide a major boost to Pakistan’s economic development.
He further described China as Pakistan’s “iron brother” and paid glowing tribute to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his visionary leadership, under which China had achieved remarkable economic and technological progress.
“China is progressing by leaps and bounds in every field and has emerged as a global economic powerhouse,” the prime minister said. He congratulated President Xi, the Chinese government and people on the national day celebrations.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to President Xi Jinping, the government and the people of China on this historic occasion,” he added.
Highlighting the significance of CPEC, Shehbaz Sharif said the flagship Belt and Road Initiative project had transformed Pakistan’s infrastructure landscape and brought prosperity to the country. He said CPEC symbolized the enduring partnership between the two nations and was entering a new phase focused on industrialization, agriculture, information technology, science, energy cooperation and the development of Gwadar as a regional trade hub.
The prime minister expressed optimism that CPEC Phase-II would accelerate industrial growth, create employment opportunities and strengthen Pakistan’s economic foundations.
“We are committed to working closely with China to realize our shared vision of development and prosperity,” he said.
The event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, federal ministers, diplomats and senior government officials.
Earlier, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong said Pakistan and China were celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, describing the milestone as a testament to the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong has highlighted the strong and enduring China-Pakistan friendship, emphasizing expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, agriculture, investment, security, people’s livelihoods and the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Addressing a reception in Islamabad marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Jiang said China and Pakistan are “all-weather strategic cooperative partners and ironclad brothers,” noting that the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
The Ambassador said bilateral high-level exchanges have remained frequent, with President Xi Jinping and President Asif Ali Zardari exchanging congratulatory messages on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, while Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in May further strengthened strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Highlighting growing economic relations, Ambassador Jiang said bilateral trade reached US$16.44 billion from January to July 2026, registering a 13.4 percent year-on-year increase. China’s exports to Pakistan increased by 9.8 percent, while imports from Pakistan rose by 45.7 percent.
He said bilateral agricultural trade reached approximately US$830 million from January to August, an increase of 45 percent year on year. China’s agricultural imports from Pakistan reached US$530 million, up 63 percent, while Pakistan recorded an agricultural trade surplus of approximately US$230 million with China.
The Ambassador particularly highlighted Pakistan’s rice exports to China, saying Pakistan exported 373 million kilograms of rice worth US$127 million, representing substantial year-on-year increases in both volume and value.
According to the figures cited by Ambassador Jiang, China, including Hong Kong, accounted for 60.7 percent of Pakistan’s total foreign investment attracted from January to August, maintaining China’s leading position among foreign investors in Pakistan.
Ambassador Jiang said China is ready to work with Pakistan to further deepen practical cooperation by focusing on the priority areas of industry, agriculture and mining, advancing the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0, and accelerating efforts to upgrade the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement.
He also outlined plans for further cooperation in people’s livelihood sectors, including the implementation of “small and beautiful” projects. These include building 100 clean water stations, upgrading 1,000 smart classrooms and distributing 100,000 school kits in Balochistan.
The Ambassador stressed that China would further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in health, education and climate change, while expanding exchanges among universities, think tanks, youth and women.
On security, Ambassador Jiang said China would deepen defense, security and counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan and work jointly to combat terrorism in all its forms.
He further emphasized the importance of close international coordination between China and Pakistan, particularly through the United Nations and other multilateral platforms, saying the two countries would strengthen communication on international and regional issues and jointly safeguard the legitimate interests of Global South countries.
Ambassador Jiang expressed China’s readiness to work hand in hand with Pakistan to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era, bringing greater benefits to the peoples of both countries and contributing to regional and global peace, stability and development.
He concluded by expressing his wishes for the continued prosperity of China and Pakistan, happiness and well-being of their peoples, and the lasting friendship between the two countries.
The ceremony concluded with renewed pledges from both sides to further expand bilateral cooperation and strengthen the historic Pakistan-China friendship.
