ISLAMABAD: On the 128th day since the ceasefire with India, President Asif Ali Zardari, constitutionally the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, visited the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China’s flagship aerospace and defence conglomerate engaged in the design and production of a wide range of military and civilian aircraft.
According to announcement of President Secretariat, during the visit, President Asif Ali Zardari toured the sprawling complex in its entirety, which produces the J-10C fighter jets that played a crucial role during the recent conflict. He also met AVIC’s engineers and scientists, listening to their insights on innovation, production and future technologies.
President Zardari was briefed on AVIC’s advanced capabilities, including the J-10 fighter jets, the co-production of the JF-17 Thunder with Pakistan, as well as progress in the J-20 stealth 5th-generation fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, fully automated units, and integrated command-and-control systems for modern multi-domain operations.
The president noted that the J-10 and JF-17 have greatly strengthened the Pakistan Air Force, a fact clearly demonstrated during May 2025’s Maraka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. He lauded AVIC as a symbol of China’s technological advancement and of the enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and China.
President Zardari’s visit also marked a historic first, as no foreign head of state had previously visited the AVIC complex.
The President was accompanied by Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, First Lady 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 President throughout the visit.
President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed that the two countries would continue to expand collaboration in defence production and aviation, further deepening their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.
Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari travelled from Chengdu to Mianyang by a high-speed train, covering the journey in around half an hour.
During the journey, the president was briefed on the train’s operations, service, safety systems and environmental advantages.
Officials highlighted that China now operates the world’s largest high-speed rail network of over 45,000km of dedicated track, carrying more than 2 billion passengers annually.
With trains running at up to 350 km/h, the network links almost all major Chinese cities. China has built a standardised, dedicated passenger system that has become a model of modern connectivity.
The president praised China’s achievements in sustainable and resilient transport, including pollution-free electric propulsion and earthquake early-warning technologies, describing them as a marvel of railway engineering. He noted that such innovations offer valuable lessons for other countries including Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari reached Shanghai as part of his ongoing state visit to China.
On arrival at the airport, the President was warmly received by Chen Qun, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Shanghai Committee, and Ms Ma Yinghui, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipality.
Pakistan’s Consul General in Shanghai and Embassy officials were also present on the occasion.
Earlier, the First Lady of Pakistan, Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, accompanied by former Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, arrived in Shanghai. They were received at the airport by the Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipality and the Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai.