Sanya (TDI): President Asif Ali Zardari has called for expanded trade, investment, and economic cooperation with China’s Hainan province during a high-level meeting in Sanya.
The President met Feng Fei, Party Secretary of Hainan, along with Governor Liu Xiaoming and Sanya Party Secretary Wang Qiyang. Discussions focused on strengthening economic linkages, boosting trade, and expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Pakistan and Hainan.
President Zardari thanked the Chinese leadership for its hospitality and highlighted Hainan’s rapid development into a major hub for international trade and investment. He reiterated that Pakistan and China are “all-weather strategic partners,” noting that bilateral relations remain a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He noted that the year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and welcomed the ongoing commemorative activities as a means to further strengthen bilateral ties and open new avenues of cooperation.
The President observed that Hainan’s progress in tourism, high-tech industry and tropical agriculture offers practical opportunities for collaboration. He asked for greater engagement between Hainan’s enterprises and Pakistan’s industrial and export sectors to enhance bilateral trade. He also emphasised the importance of people-to-people contacts, noting the participation of Pakistani athletes in the Sixth Asian Beach Games in Sanya as a positive step in this direction.
The President also expressed Pakistan’s interest in expanding cooperation with China, particularly with Hainan, in the fields of tropical agriculture, port development, seed technology and fisheries. He noted that Pakistani and Chinese civilisations have interacted over centuries and expressed confidence that both countries will continue to develop and prosper together in the years ahead.
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He said that his family shares a longstanding connection with China spanning three generations, from his late father-in-law Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, to his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Foreign Minister, and daughter Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, First Lady.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace, stability, dialogue and cooperation.
Secretary Feng Fei welcomed the President and his delegation and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s longstanding friendship with China. He highlighted Hainan’s development as a Free Trade Port and its growing role in global trade and investment. He noted that since the launch of special customs operations in December 2025, the number of foreign investors and the value of imported goods in Hainan has increased significantly, in the first quarter of this year, making Hainan one of the most open regions in China. He added that trade between Pakistan and Hainan has nearly doubled during the same period.
Secretary Feng also noted that more than 500 Pakistani students are currently studying in various universities across Hainan and described the President’s visit, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as particularly significant.
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He further highlighted that China’s largest seed breeding laboratory is located in Hainan, employing advanced technologies including biotechnology and artificial intelligence and noted the potential for cooperation with Pakistan in this field.
He conveyed China’s willingness to further strengthen the all-weather strategic partnership between the two countries across a range of areas.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla; Sharjeel Inam Memon, Senior Provincial Minister, Government of Sindh; Ali Hassan Barohi; Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh for Investment and Public-Private Partnership Projects; Chief Secretary Sindh; China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi were also present, among others, during the meeting. The meeting was followed by a banquet in honour of the President.
Sohail Majeed
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
