Pakistan's political parties have long supported friendship with China and provided a strong political foundation for bilateral relations, visiting Chinese Communist Party official Liu Haixing said on Monday as he held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. Liu, minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), also called for deeper political and institutional exchanges between the two countries. During his meeting with the prime minister, Shehbaz reaffirmed that Pakistan and China enjoyed an "ironclad, time-tested and All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership," describing the friendship as anchored in mutual trust, respect and deep-rooted bonds between the peoples of the two countries. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Shehbaz stressed the importance of sustained political engagement and party-to-party exchanges in further strengthening bilateral relations. He appreciated the role played by the International Department of the CPC in fostering institutional linkages and promoting cooperation between the political leadership of the two countries. The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to working closely with China and commended the shared focus on advancing cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, infrastructure development, information technology and agricultural modernisation. Liu conveyed the greetings of the Chinese leadership and reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to further deepening its longstanding friendship with Pakistan. He also appreciated the momentum in high-level and party-to-party exchanges aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. The two sides exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination at bilateral and multilateral forums. Shehbaz also hosted a banquet in honour of the visiting Chinese dignitary and his delegation. Earlier, Liu called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two discussed evolving regional and international security dynamics, bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest. Field Marshal Munir highlighted the historic and time-tested relationship between Pakistan and China and emphasised the importance of sustained high-level engagement, stronger institutional linkages and expanded cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Liu appreciated Pakistan's contributions to regional peace and stability and expressed confidence in further advancing the longstanding strategic partnership. Both sides reiterated their resolve to strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. The meetings with the prime minister and the country's military leadership were among the most significant engagements of Liu's three-day visit, which comes as Pakistan and China mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. Symposium in Islamabad Addressing a high-level symposium in Islamabad on Chinese President Xi Jinping's thought on party-building and governance, Dar said China's experience in institutional discipline, organisational capacity, accountability and people-centred governance offered valuable lessons for Pakistan. "We acknowledge and commend the intellectual contribution of President Xi Jinping and his thought on party building and the experience of the Communist Party of China in translating his principles into effective governance and tangible development outcomes," Dar said. He said China's progress had been driven by the CPC's commitment to party discipline, organisational capacity, combating corruption and people-centred governance. Dar highlighted China's poverty alleviation record, saying sustained policy efforts had lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, making a historic contribution to global poverty reduction. He said China had achieved its first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society and was now advancing towards its second goal of becoming a modern country. The deputy prime minister said Pakistan could benefit from exchanging governance experiences with China, particularly in leadership development, institutional strengthening, economic management and development planning. Referring to Pakistan's economic situation, Dar said the country had made significant strides towards economic self-reliance and stabilisation and was now moving towards economic consolidation. He attributed the progress to governance reforms, including macroeconomic discipline, institutional modernisation, digital tax administration and simplified regulations. Dar said the 75-year relationship had evolved into an All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership based on mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual support. He described the broad-based political consensus in Pakistan in support of ties with China as a major strength of the relationship and called it a vital strategic asset. Dar also called for stronger cooperation between political parties, parliaments, universities, think tanks and training institutions. He said the China-Pakistan Political Parties Forum and the CPEC Political Parties Joint Consultation Mechanism provided important platforms for sustained dialogue, political cooperation and exchanges of experience. He recalled that Pakistan had proposed five political corridors covering political dialogue, governance cooperation, youth engagement, people-to-people exchanges and regional cooperation. Dar said political parties and institutions played an important role in building consensus, ensuring policy continuity and facilitating the implementation of bilateral commitments. He called for strengthening the organisational capacity of political parties, particularly their grassroots structures, while emphasising transparency, accountability, institutional discipline and long-term planning. He also stressed the importance of parliamentary cooperation between Pakistan's Senate and National Assembly and China's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. On regional developments, the FM said Pakistan and China had jointly launched a five-point peace initiative for restoring peace in the Middle East during his visit to Beijing on March 31 this year. He also referred to President Xi's subsequent four-point proposal for the Middle East, describing it as an expression of China's approach towards promoting comprehensive, common and indivisible security. Dar said China's global initiatives reflected its commitment to fairness, justice and a more equitable international governance system, particularly for developing countries and the Global South. Senator Sherry Rehman, who also addressed the symposium, highlighted the importance of political parties in the development, progress and prosperity of a country. PCECC event Liu's visit also featured the inauguration of the Pakistan-China Research Centre for Party and State Governance. The event, organised by the Pakistan-China Economic and Cultural Council (PCECC), was attended by Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, among others. Gilani accepted the honourary chairmanship of the newly established research centre, which is intended to provide a platform for research, policy dialogue and practical cooperation between the two countries. Liu called for closer exchanges among political parties and socio-economic groups in both countries and urged the two sides to implement the consensus reached by their leadership on upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Governor Kundi welcomed the Chinese delegation and invited Chinese investors to explore investment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Liu's visit is significant because of the institutional role he holds within China's political system. Unlike conventional diplomatic engagement conducted through China's Foreign Ministry, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee manages relations with political parties and organisations around the world, including ruling and opposition parties. The department provides a separate channel for political exchanges, governance discussions and institutional cooperation alongside conventional government-to-government diplomacy. Liu, a member of the 20th CPC Central Committee, was appointed minister of the International Department in September 2025. A career diplomat, he previously served as assistant foreign minister and held senior positions within China's diplomatic and party structures. His visit also follows a meeting with Dar in Beijing in January, when the two discussed party-to-party exchanges, regional developments and cooperation under CPEC. The latest engagements underscore the two countries' efforts to expand their relationship beyond traditional diplomatic, economic and defence cooperation to include political parties, parliamentary institutions, think tanks and academic organisations.