President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Chengdu on Friday to kick off his 10-day official visit to China, where he will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership on different issues including regional peace and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

A statement issued today from the President’s Secretariat said that he was received by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Sichaun Vice Governor Huang Ruixue on arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong were also present to welcome President Zardari.

“During the visit, the president will hold meetings with the Chinese leadership and senior officials to further strengthen Pakistan-China relations, enhance cooperation in diverse fields and advance shared objectives under the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” the statement said.

The Foreign Office (FO) had earlier said the president would visit Chengdu, Shanghai and Xinjiang to hold meetings with the provincial leadership.

It said the discussions would encompass bilateral relations, with a particular focus on economic and trade cooperation, CPEC and future connectivity initiatives. The two sides would also exchange views on bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora.

The FO said the visit underscored the tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China, reflecting the deep commitment of the two countries to strengthen their relations.