President Asif Ali Zardari visited Kashgar Free Trade Zone on Saturday – the only facility of its kind in southern Xinjiang and a major trade and logistics hub. During the visit, Zardari urged a private Chinese airline to expand its activities in Pakistan to increase the connection and elaborate on cultural ties.
The president, who is on a ten-day state visit to China since September 12, was received by Yao Ning, CPC party secretary for Kashgar. He was informed of the zone’s rapid growth since its creation in 2015.
The zone is spread over 3.56 square kilometers and combines bound warehouse, logistics, processing, customs clearance and air cargo services. It maintains trade relations with 118 countries, exports electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, high -tech goods and car parts.
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Officials informed Zardari that the zone is connected to road, rail and air to both Asia and Europe and has its own international airport. It is also associated with Sost Port in Gilgit-Baltivity-400 kilometers away and Gwadar Port, 2,000 kilometers away, making it an important gateway for import and export.
During his tour, the president also visited stalls showing products from Central Asia, Europe, South Korea and Japan.
He was informed of the Digital Trade Center, which was established in 2024, now hosting more than 5,400 companies. He also toured at cross-border e-commerce exhibition center, which showed duty-free products from Central Asia, Europe and beyond.
Zardari was updated on the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” initiative an Uzbekistan-supported industrial park offering 72-hour warehouse-to-warehouse delivery and a Kyrgyzstan-supported park under development for Auto Assembly and LED production.
Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh -Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Pakistan -Ambassador in China and Chinese envoy to Pakistan accompanied the president.
Air connection
Later in the day, President Serene Air CEO met Yunchun Yang, who shared the airline’s expansion plans for Pakistan.
Zardari urged the airline to improve its connection and services. Yang, who has a Ph.D. from the University of California and leads a semiconductor company with operations in China, Sweden and the United States, further investments in Pakistan’s aviation sector promised.
Serene Air is the first Chinese private investment in Pakistan’s aviation industry and the first Pakistani airline to drive direct flights to Beijing. Yang also highlighted the company’s joint projects with Pakistan Air Force at JF-17 Avionics.
Academic connections
The president also visited Kashgar University, the leading institution for higher education in southern Xinjiang, where he was welcomed by party secretary Ding Bangwen, Faculty and Students.
The institution was established in 1962 and upgraded to university status in 2015 and now has three campuses and over 40,000 students and faculties, including hundreds of foreigners. Registration is expected to rise to almost 50,000 in the coming years.
Zardari praised the university’s contributions across science, engineering, agriculture, social sciences, art and culture. He called the institution the nearest Chinese university to Pakistan and an important bridge for academic and cultural exchange.
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The president highlighted the Pakistan-China strategic cooperative partnership and emphasized the importance of youth and education in strengthening long-term ties.
He was also informed of the Center for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which supports belt and road research and collaboration.
To engage with Pakistani students – many from Gilgit, Hunza, Dir and Chitral – asked Zardari about their studies and living conditions. The students said that their teaching and accommodation were fully funded by the Chinese government along with scholarships for food and expenses.
Zardari urged them to excel in their fields and help to strengthen Pakistan-China friendship.
