President Zardari Calls for Expanding Pak-China Ties Beyond Politics and Economy

President Asif Ali Zardari, in a significant meeting with senior Chinese leader Li Shulei in Chengdu, underscored the need to further expand Pakistan-China cooperation across political, economic, and cultural spheres. He stressed that stronger people-to-people exchanges and effective public diplomacy are essential to deepening the historic partnership. Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to working closely with China to advance shared goals of stability and development. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department, lauded President Zardari’s leadership and highlighted that both he and President Xi Jinping highly value his role in strengthening bilateral ties. Reaffirming Beijing’s enduring support, Li emphasized that China and Pakistan will remain “iron-clad brothers,” adding that in today’s changing world, humanity deserves the fragrance of books rather than the smell of gunpowder—a call for peace, cooperation, and mutual progress.