Web Desk; President Asif Ali Zardari, currently on a 10-day official visit to China, reaffirmed on Sunday that Pakistan and China would further expand cooperation in defence production and aviation, strengthening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The commitment came during his visit to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s leading aerospace and defence conglomerate.
The President’s Secretariat said in a statement that President Zardari, who is constitutionally the supreme commander of Pakistan’s armed forces, toured the AVIC facility, meeting engineers and scientists engaged in cutting-edge research and production. He was given detailed briefings on the corporation’s advanced capabilities, including the J-10 fighter jet, the ongoing co-production of the JF-17 Thunder with Pakistan, developments in the J-20 fifth-generation stealth aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, automated units, and integrated command-and-control systems for modern multi-domain warfare.
Highlighting Pakistan’s operational use of Chinese aircraft, President Zardari said the J-10 and JF-17 have significantly bolstered the Pakistan Air Force, as demonstrated during the May 2025 escalation with India. He recalled that these platforms played a decisive role in downing Indian fighter jets, including Rafales, during four days of intense confrontation that ended with a ceasefire on May 10.
The President described AVIC as “a symbol of China’s technological progress and the deep-rooted strategic partnership between Pakistan and China.” The statement further noted that Zardari’s visit to the complex was historic, as no foreign head of state had previously been hosted there.
Accompanying the President were PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi, and China’s Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, who is travelling with the delegation throughout the visit.
Later in the day, President Zardari arrived in Shanghai, where he was warmly welcomed by Chen Qun, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Shanghai Committee, and Ma Yinghui, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipality.
Zardari’s broader visit includes stops in Shanghai and Xinjiang, with meetings planned with senior Chinese leadership and officials. According to the Foreign Office, discussions will cover a wide range of subjects, including bilateral economic and trade ties, future connectivity projects, and progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The visit reflects the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and underscores their shared commitment to deepen cooperation in multiple domains, from defence to culture and connectivity.
