Chinese President Xi hosts Pakistani counterpart Zardari for talks in Beijing

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - China's President Xi Jinping held talks with visiting Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari in Beijing on Wednesday, state-run Xinhua News reported.

Zardari is currently on a five-day visit to China, running from Feb. 4 to 8.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), regional connectivity, and security cooperation.

Earlier, Zardari met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress.

The two sides discussed the "high-quality" development of the second phase of the CPEC, with a particular emphasis on promoting cooperation in science and technology, renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture sectors, said a statement from Zardari's office.

They described CPEC as a "shining example" of people-centric development, with its focus on win-win cooperation, shared benefits and common prosperity.

The two sides discussed the opportunities to strengthen institutional linkages, including through parliamentary exchanges and participation in the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultative Mechanism, to further solidify the bilateral cooperation.

Zardari also visited the Monument to People's Heroes in Beijing to pay tribute to the national heroes.​​​​​​​