President Asif Ali Zardari has instructed Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador to China to emphasize strengthening economic and industrial collaboration with Beijing, particularly in the fields of technology, agriculture, and skills development. This directive was given during a meeting on Tuesday at Aiwan-e-Sadr with Ambassador-designate Dr. Syed Ali Asad Gilani, as Pakistan aims to broaden the economic dimension of its longstanding strategic partnership with China.

In a significant development, President Zardari highlighted the importance of enhancing business-to-business cooperation under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He identified modern agriculture, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies as key sectors for expanded collaboration, stressing the need to focus on skill development and job creation for Pakistani youth.

Meanwhile, the president urged Ambassador Gilani to actively engage with various Chinese government bodies, the Communist Party of China, academic institutions, think tanks, and media organizations to deepen bilateral ties. He also emphasized the expansion of people-to-people connections, including student exchange programs, as a vital component of the relationship.

This meeting takes place as Pakistan seeks to attract increased Chinese investment and industrial cooperation through CPEC 2.0, which follows the infrastructure-centric first phase of the corridor. President Zardari underscored the necessity of building upon the existing political rapport with China by fostering greater economic integration, describing the relationship with Beijing as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Notably, the president expressed anticipation for the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan for next year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, signaling continued high-level engagement between the two countries.