ISLAMABAD, June 9 (ABC): Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong on Tuesday proposed a three-point roadmap to deepen China-Pakistan relations, accelerate the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strengthen cooperation on global governance as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties.
Addressing a seminar on the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and the development of CPEC, jointly organized by Xinhua News Agency and the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Jiang called for building on the achievements of bilateral relations, upgrading CPEC to version 2.0 and expanding coordination on regional and international issues.
China-Pakistan friendship enters new phase
The ambassador said the first proposal focused on carrying forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and elevating bilateral cooperation to new heights.
He recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Asif Ali Zardari exchanged congratulatory messages on May 21 to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. President Xi also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on May 25.
According to Jiang, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to political mutual trust, practical cooperation, security collaboration and international coordination. He said the consensus reached by the leaders provides a roadmap for advancing the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
The ambassador said China stands ready to work with Pakistan to implement the leaders’ consensus and deliver greater benefits to the people of both countries.
China seeks faster progress on CPEC 2.0
Jiang said the second proposal centred on advancing CPEC and upgrading the flagship Belt and Road Initiative project into its 2.0 phase.
He said President Xi recently called for stronger cooperation in agriculture, industry, artificial intelligence and talent development, alongside the implementation of major infrastructure projects and community-focused initiatives.
Highlighting CPEC achievements, the ambassador said the corridor has attracted more than $25.9 billion in direct investment, created over 260,000 jobs, added more than 8,000 megawatts of power generation capacity, built 510 kilometres of expressways and developed 886 kilometres of core national power transmission infrastructure.
He said future cooperation under CPEC 2.0 will focus on agriculture, industry and mining. China and Pakistan will also continue work on major projects, including the realignment of the Karakoram Highway Phase II.
Jiang also highlighted the “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Initiative” in Balochistan. The programme aims to build 100 water facilities, renovate 1,000 classrooms and distribute 100,000 student aid kits.
Global governance cooperation stressed
The third proposal focused on global governance and international cooperation.
Jiang said the Global Governance Initiative advocates sovereign equality, respect for international law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach and practical action. He described it as a framework for promoting a fairer and more equitable global governance system.
The ambassador noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed support for the initiative and viewed it as an important step toward strengthening multilateralism and addressing the concerns of developing countries.
Referring to regional developments, Jiang said China and Pakistan had jointly issued a five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region.
He said both countries would maintain close communication on major international and regional issues, support the central role of the United Nations and oppose unilateralism and Cold War mentality.
Jiang said China and Pakistan would continue working together to improve global governance, promote inclusive economic globalization and contribute to regional peace and stability.
The ambassador noted that 2026 marks both the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan and the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. It is also an important year for advancing Pakistan’s Uraan Pakistan programme.
He expressed confidence that the two countries would continue deepening practical cooperation, strengthening multilateral coordination and building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
