ISLAMABAD (DI NEWS) : Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong engaged in a detailed interaction with Pakistani media representatives, addressing a range of regional and global issues while reaffirming China’s strategic priorities, especially concerning its neighboring countries and the China-Pakistan partnership.
Ambassador Jiang began by highlighting President Xi Jinping’s recent speech at the CPC Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries held in Beijing on April 8–9. He emphasized that under Xi Jinping’s leadership, China has prioritized the creation of a “community with a shared future” among its neighbors, underpinned by values such as amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. He noted that over the past decade, China has established such partnerships with 17 neighboring nations, including Pakistan, and signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with 25 regional countries. These achievements, he asserted, stem from President Xi’s strong and strategic guidance.
Focusing specifically on China-Pakistan relations, the Ambassador reiterated that Pakistan holds a pivotal place in China’s neighborhood diplomacy. He emphasized the upcoming milestones—ten years since President Xi’s visit to Pakistan and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026—as crucial opportunities to deepen ties. The Ambassador outlined four core areas of engagement: strengthening strategic trust, aligning China’s BRI initiatives with Pakistan’s “5Es” framework to upgrade CPEC, enhancing security cooperation under the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and deepening people-to-people connectivity.
Turning to global economic tensions, Ambassador Jiang offered a strong critique of the United States’ imposition of unilateral tariffs. He described the U.S. as a habitual practitioner of economic bullying, recalling past tariff policies that led to domestic unemployment and global financial disruption, such as the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. He warned that the U.S. is repeating historical mistakes, citing economic data predicting potential job losses and heightened inflation due to these policies.
When asked about the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on China, Ambassador Jiang dismissed concerns, noting that China has demonstrated resilience, with reduced reliance on U.S. exports and consistent economic growth. In Q1 of 2025, China’s GDP and exports grew by 5.4% and 6.9% respectively, underscoring the economy’s strength. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to high-quality development and international economic openness.
Finally, addressing how developing countries should respond to U.S. protectionism, the Ambassador called for unity among Global South nations.
He encouraged collective resistance against unilateralism and advocated for defending the WTO-centered multilateral trading system. Ambassador Jiang emphasized that Pakistan and China, as key players in the Global South, must lead by example to uphold justice, fairness, and inclusive globalization.
Report By: Moiz Farooq
Executive Editor, Pakistan Economic Net and Daily Ittehad Media Group
