Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Sunday to review progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and reaffirm ties between the two countries. Dar Chinese envoy CPEC talks focused on trade, investment, regional connectivity, farm modernisation and people-to-people exchanges, the Foreign Office said.
Dar praised the ongoing expansion of what officials call the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China. He also stressed the need for sustained high-level contact, to build what officials term a Pakistan-China Community of Shared Future in the New Era.
Beyond economic and bilateral items, the two sides discussed recent regional developments. Both officials said dialogue and diplomacy remain essential for long-term peace and stability in the region. The meeting took place at a time when Pakistan and China are trying to speed up the second phase of the corridor, with a shift toward industrialisation, technology and export-led growth.
Dar Chinese envoy CPEC talks and phase two
The first phase of the corridor centred on energy and transport projects. The second phase aims to turn that base into industrial growth, with private firms and technology transfer playing a larger part. That shift matters for Pakistan, because it decides whether the corridor creates factories, jobs and exports, or stays mainly a set of roads and power plants.
Earlier this month, a 22-member Chinese business delegation from Xinjiang visited Islamabad to explore investment in farming, mining, manufacturing and special economic zones. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal urged Chinese investors to form joint ventures and help turn Pakistan into a regional production and export hub.
In August, officials said the first phase had drawn about 25 billion dollars in Chinese investment. The next phase, they said, would give priority to private-sector partnerships and technology transfer. Those two points frame the Dar-Jiang meeting: the corridor has a large base, and the question now is how fast it can move into industry and exports.
Why the meeting matters now
The meeting also sits against a difficult regional backdrop. Pakistan faces pressure on energy costs, with CPEC power projects warning of cash shortfalls and default risk linked to unpaid bills. A corridor that only adds projects without solving payment and recovery problems will struggle to keep investors confident.
That contrast gives the Dar-Jiang talks their real test. Diplomatic language about partnership is easy to produce, but the second phase will be judged on joint ventures signed, factories built, and exports shipped. The Xinjiang delegation’s visit and the planning minister’s call for joint ventures point in that direction, yet the work of turning visits into deals still lies ahead.
Regional security also featured in the talks. Both sides said dialogue and diplomacy are essential for peace and stability. With tensions running high in the wider region, Pakistan and China have a shared interest in keeping trade routes open and in avoiding shocks that could disrupt investment and supply chains.
For ordinary readers, the value of the meeting lies in what follows it. If phase two brings industrial zones with jobs and exports, the corridor will matter to households far from Islamabad. If it stays at the level of meetings and statements, the public will rightly ask what changed. The Foreign Office statement sets the agenda; the next delegation visits, investment announcements and factory openings will show whether the agenda moves.
Who met to review CPEC progress?
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad on Sunday.
What did the talks cover?
The talks covered trade, investment, regional connectivity, farm modernisation and people-to-people exchanges, along with recent regional developments.
What is the focus of CPEC phase two?
Phase two focuses on industrialisation, technology and export-led growth, with private-sector partnerships and technology transfer given priority.
How much investment did CPEC phase one attract?
Officials said in August that the first phase had attracted about 25 billion dollars in Chinese investment.
