On the afternoon of September 15, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, accompanied by Jiang Zaidong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, visited the headquarters of Shanghai Electric Group for a cordial meeting centered on advancing the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and strengthening cooperation in the energy equipment sector. Wu Lei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shanghai Electric Group, delivered a welcome address.

President Zardari expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and highly commended Shanghai Electric’s outstanding contributions to Pakistan’s energy transition and people’s well-being. He noted that the Thar Block I Integrated Energy Project, a flagship project under CPEC initiative, has not only significantly eased Pakistan’s power shortages but also saved billions of U.S. dollars in foreign exchange through localized operations, while playing an active role in improving local livelihoods. He warmly welcomed Shanghai Electric and other Chinese enterprises to continue investing in Pakistan. He emphasized that Pakistan will keep refining investment policies, improving the business environment, and addressing Chinese concerns in a timely manner. Looking ahead, he hoped Shanghai Electric would further leverage its strengths in clean energy and smart grid technologies to launch more high-quality cooperation projects, jointly writing a new chapter in the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan.

Wu Lei warmly welcomed President Zardari and his delegation, recalling the milestones Shanghai Electric has achieved in Pakistan since entering the market in 1992. He highlighted that, as a global leader in industrial-grade green intelligent system solutions, Shanghai Electric has actively responded to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, considering Pakistan as a key hub of its globalization strategy. The Company has had the privilege of participating in major projects such as the Thar Energy Integrated Project and the Sahiwal Power Plant, contributing Chinese solutions to enhance Pakistan’s energy security and self-sufficiency. Looking to the future, Wu Lei stressed that Shanghai Electric will continue to leverage its strong manufacturing capabilities and extensive project management expertise to deeply participate in Pakistan’s energy sector, fully supporting the country’s energy development and driving sustainable economic growth.

During the meeting, Shanghai Electric and Pakistani enterprises signed a memorandum of understanding on further exploring the comprehensive utilization of Thar coal, marking a new milestone in bilateral energy cooperation.

Before the meeting, President Zardari, accompanied by Wu Lei, met with members of the Shanghai Electric Thar Project High-Quality Operations Talent Workshop, a group of Pakistani professionals studying and training in China. He encouraged them to continue honing their skills and to contribute actively to strengthening the traditional China–Pakistan friendship.

Attendees included Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Co-Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party; Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, First Lady of Pakistan; senior officials of the Pakistani cabinet, Sindh provincial government, and the Pakistani Embassy and Consulate in China, as well as Zhu Zhaokai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Shanghai Electric, and Qiu Jiayou, Vice President of Shanghai Electric.