Pakistan, China emphasize political consensus, party exchanges to advance CPEC

ISLAMABAD, November 4, (Daily Global South)- Pakistan and China on Monday reaffirmed the importance of political understanding, institutional cooperation and exchanges between political parties in strengthening their longstanding bilateral relationship and advancing the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The commitment was highlighted at the “Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building and Seminar on China-Pakistan Governance,” co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The event was jointly organized by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

“Our engagement underscores an important dimension of the Pakistan-China relationship, and that is the strength rests not only on intergovernmental cooperation, but also on sustained political understanding, institutional linkages and exchanges between our political parties,” Dar said.

Addressing the symposium, Dar highlighted the role of political parties in governance, institution-building and national development, emphasizing the broad-based political consensus underpinning Pakistan-China friendship.

He called for closer party-to-party exchanges and mutual learning to further strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership, stressing that political consensus and continuity were essential for advancing CPEC’s next phase.

In his keynote address, Liu Haixing thanked Pakistan’s leadership for promoting party-to-party exchanges to deepen bilateral cooperation.

He highlighted the role of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building in strengthening the CPC, institutional governance and national development, emphasizing party discipline, anti-corruption efforts, people-centred governance and institutional capacity.

Liu also underscored the longstanding political trust between Pakistan and China as the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

He highlighted the establishment of the Pakistan-China Research Centre for Party and State Governance as an important platform for dialogue, institutional cooperation and mutual learning.

Senator Sherry Rehman conveyed the congratulatory message of President Asif Ali Zardari, reaffirming Pakistan’s longstanding friendship with China and highlighting the importance of mutual trust, political consensus and institutional cooperation.

The message also emphasized enhanced cooperation under CPEC’s next phase in industrial development, agriculture, technology, connectivity and employment.

Dar also read out the congratulatory message of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, which appreciated China’s achievements under President Xi Jinping and highlighted the importance of people-centred governance, institutional integrity and accountability.

The message called for greater cooperation in governance, leadership training and CPEC Phase II.

Senator Anusha Rahman, Additional Secretary General of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), conveyed the congratulatory message of former prime minister and PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, emphasizing inter-party dialogue, institutional cooperation and political consensus for advancing CPEC and Pakistan-China relations.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal highlighted key lessons from China’s experience, including people-centred governance, accountability, strong institutions and long-term national planning.

He emphasized the importance of political cooperation, youth engagement and governance exchanges in advancing UDAAN Pakistan and CPEC 2.0.

Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Secretary General of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), highlighted the party’s historical role in strengthening Pakistan-China relations and called for greater exchanges between political parties in leadership development, research, technology, agriculture and other areas of mutual interest.

He also welcomed the establishment of the Pakistan-China Research Centre for Party and State Governance.

Former Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman of the Pakistan-China Institute, described the symposium as a historic initiative, highlighting the importance of people-centred governance, effective leadership and institutional capacity.

The symposium also featured recorded messages from political leaders from Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives, who shared perspectives on party building, governance, accountability and mutual learning.

The event was attended by Foreign Secretary Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, representatives of political parties and think tanks, senior government officials, diplomats and academics.

The symposium underscored the importance of sustained political dialogue and institutional cooperation in strengthening Pakistan-China relations and supporting the implementation of CPEC’s next phase.