Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari visited Changsha in central China's Hunan Province, with a strong emphasis on strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties.
Zardari arrived in China on Saturday for a week-long visit running until May 1, with scheduled stops in Hunan and Hainan Province.
During his visit, Zardari toured major Chinese firms, including SANY Group and Hunan Tea Group, exploring opportunities for collaboration in infrastructure development and agriculture.
At SANY, he was introduced to advanced machinery such as unmanned counterbalanced forklifts and other high-tech equipment, highlighting China's industrial capabilities.
At Hunan Tea Group, Zardari emphasised the shared tea culture between Pakistan and China, calling for closer cooperation to support Pakistan's agricultural modernisation.
The Pakistani president also conferred the Sitara-i-Pakistan, one of the country's highest civilian honours, on Pan Xiangbin.
Pan and his team were recognised for performing life-saving heart surgeries on Pakistani children in 2025.
Zardari witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding between the two countries, covering areas such as seawater desalination, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.
On Monday, he travelled to Shaoshan, the hometown of Mao Zedong, where he laid a wreath and visited the late leader's memorial hall and former residence.
The visit comes as China and Pakistan mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, underscoring efforts by both sides to deepen cooperation across economic, cultural and strategic domains.
(with inputs from Reuters)