ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday visited the Kashgar Free Trade Zone, a major trade and logistics hub in China’s Xinjiang region, and urged a private Chinese airline to expand its operations in Pakistan as part of efforts to deepen economic and cultural ties with China.
Zardari, on a ten-day state visit to China since Sept. 12, has met with Chinese political, business and industry leaders to strengthen cooperation across diverse sectors.
On Friday, he attended a dinner hosted by the vice governor of Xinjiang and the Communist Party secretary of Kashgar, where he engaged with regional Chinese leaders.
“President Asif Ali Zardari visited the Kashgar Free Trade Zone, the only facility of its kind in southern Xinjiang and an important hub for trade and logistics in the region,” his office said in a statement.
The zone, established in 2015 over 3.56 square kilometres, consolidates bonded warehousing, logistics, processing, customs clearance and air freight services, and maintains trade links with 118 countries exporting goods ranging from electric vehicles and batteries to solar cells, high-tech goods and auto parts.
