China Committed to Boost CPEC, Train 1,000 Pakistanis in Agriculture: Ambassador Jiang
— February 24, 2025
ISLAMABAD (AIA) Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong said Monday that it is time to take substantial steps to further strengthen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
“We are ready to expand cooperation with Pakistan in education, media, think tanks, youth exchanges, and the film and television industries to foster mutual learning between civilisations and strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties,” the ambassador told reporters after addressing a ceremony.
He highlighted China’s commitment to helping Pakistan develop human resources, increase training opportunities, and implement a bilateral initiative to send 1,000 Pakistanis to China for modern agricultural training.
At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari paid a state visit to China earlier this month. “We are pleased to see that since the establishment of the new Pakistani government last year, China and Pakistan have maintained close high-level exchanges,” Jiang said.
The ambassador emphasised turning high-level agreements into tangible results. “We must aim high to deepen high-level strategic cooperation. The development of China-Pakistan relations over the past year indicates that strategic guidance is the fundamental guarantee for the steady and long-term growth of our bilateral relations.”
He noted that 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi’s historic visit to Pakistan and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. “These milestones present significant opportunities for China-Pakistan relations,” he said.
Jiang reaffirmed China’s readiness to enhance practical cooperation with Pakistan across various sectors, upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and support Pakistan’s development goals.
“We are prepared to work with Pakistan to ensure effective implementation of key projects, including the realignment of the Karakoram Highway Phase II, the upgrade of the Main Line-1 railway, and the comprehensive development and operation of Gwadar Port. We will also ensure the stable operation of the Khunjerab Pass while expanding agricultural cooperation.”
He noted that in 2023, China-Pakistan agricultural trade exceeded $1 billion, with Pakistan enjoying a surplus of $237 million. On February 14, 2024, the first batch of 26.5 tonnes of high-value buffalo dairy products arrived in China, showcasing the resilience of bilateral agricultural ties.
Jiang stressed the need to identify a second batch of CPEC agricultural projects, covering grains, cotton, oil, meat, and dairy products. “We aim to promote modern, efficient agricultural cooperation and expand models like contract farming to enhance benefits for enterprises and farmers in both countries.”
He also highlighted plans to accelerate the construction of model Special Economic Zones (SEZs), attract export-oriented enterprises, explore cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, and develop cross-border e-commerce collaborations.
“China will continue to carry out more ‘small but beautiful’ projects to improve the livelihoods of the Pakistani people,” Jiang said, reaffirming China’s dedication to fostering long-term, mutually beneficial relations.