Editor's note: Mohamed Karim, a special commentator for CGTN, is a global issues and economic affairs independent researcher and analyst currently living in Benghazi, Libya. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of CGTN.

May 21 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, and bilateral ties have grown into a consistently strong strategic partnership. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's upcoming visit to China from May 23 to 26 coincides with the 75th anniversary of bilateral ties. It comes at a time of rising geopolitical fragmentation and supply-chain insecurity. Against this backdrop, Pakistan Senate's recent resolution reaffirming the "iron-clad friendship" with China carries significance far beyond symbolism.

What makes China-Pakistan relations distinctive is not simply their longevity, but their consistency. Over the past 75 years, the relationship has experienced neither military confrontation nor major diplomatic rupture. In an era where alliances often fluctuate with domestic political cycles, they have maintained uninterrupted strategic trust across changing governments, international crises, and shifting power balances. This continuity itself has become a geopolitical asset.

The partnership has also evolved through different stages. Early cooperation centered on diplomatic coordination and strategic balancing. Later, defense and regional security cooperation became key pillars. The past decade was defined by infrastructure connectivity under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Today, however, the relationship is increasingly shifting toward technological integration, industrial modernization, and economic resilience. In this sense, China-Pakistan cooperation is becoming more than a bilateral framework; it is gradually emerging as a model of South-South cooperation.

The impact of CPEC remains central to this transformation. Since its launch in 2013, Chinese investment and financing in Pakistan have exceeded $25 billion, contributing to more than 261,000 jobs, over 8,000 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, and major transportation infrastructure upgrades. These projects helped reduce Pakistan's chronic power shortages that previously caused severe industrial disruption and economic losses. Pakistani leaders themselves repeatedly acknowledge that Chinese-backed energy initiatives have significantly reduced nationwide load shedding.

Beyond energy, CPEC has steadily reshaped Pakistan's development landscape. From Gwadar Port to the under-construction Gwadar International Airport, the corridor has expanded connectivity while also supporting hospitals, desalination plants, solar energy projects and vocational training centers. Projects such as the Karot and Suki Kinari hydropower plants, the Lahore Orange Line Metro and the Sukkur-Multan Motorway are strengthening Pakistan's energy security and regional economic integration. Both countries are now implementing the Action Plan to Foster an Even Closer China-Pakistan Community with a Shared Future (2025-2029), which covers political, economic, security, and socio-cultural cooperation. Together, these efforts increasingly demonstrate how Global South countries can jointly pursue development through long-term strategic coordination.

Yet the most important shift is that CPEC is moving beyond roads and power plants. "CPEC 2.0" increasingly focuses on industrialization, digital connectivity, green development, agricultural modernization, and advanced technology. This reflects a broader reality: Infrastructure alone no longer determines national competitiveness. Digital ecosystems, artificial intelligence and technological sovereignty are becoming equally important. Here, China-Pakistan cooperation is becoming strategically forward-looking.

Pakistan's demographic structure strengthens this potential. 64% of the population is under 30, creating opportunities in technology-driven sectors. At the same time, China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) emphasizes innovation and "new quality productive forces," allowing Pakistan to align its own economic transformation strategy with China's technological transition. Combined with China's industrial capacity and experience in poverty alleviation, the partnership contains untapped potential in artificial intelligence, fintech, smart agriculture, telecommunications and renewable energy.

Recent agreements signed during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to China in areas such as medical robotics, desalination technology, vaccine production and agricultural modernization indicate that bilateral cooperation is increasingly shifting toward high-value sectors directly linked to long-term socioeconomic transformation. These initiatives are also expected to support Pakistan's National Economic Transformation Plan, URAAN Pakistan.

The broader strategic logic behind this partnership is often overlooked internationally. China and Pakistan are attempting to create a development-security framework where connectivity itself becomes a stabilizing force. This is particularly visible in Gwadar Port. While many Western analyses focus primarily on its geopolitical or military implications, recent instability in the Strait of Hormuz highlights Gwadar's broader economic significance. The CPEC increasingly represents an alternative logistics and transshipment route connecting the Arabian Sea, Central Asia, Iran, and western China. Pakistani estimates suggest Gwadar could eventually contribute between $18 billion and $25 billion to Pakistan's economy through trade and industrial activity. In practical terms, China-Pakistan cooperation is gradually evolving into a regional supply-chain resilience mechanism, as global trade routes become increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical shocks. Besides, China's role as a peaceful mediator between Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with their growing cooperation in defense and counterterrorism, has contributed to maintaining regional peace and stability.

Equally important is the political philosophy underpinning the relationship. Unlike many traditional alliances, China-Pakistan ties are not based on ideological conformity or coercive dependence. Instead, they emphasize sovereign equality, non-interference and reciprocal strategic support. Pakistan consistently supports the one-China principle, while China repeatedly backs Pakistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development priorities. This reciprocal political trust explains why bilateral ties have survived multiple regional crises without strategic drift. From Sharif's visit to China in 2024 to Premier Li Qiang's visit to Pakistan, both demonstrated the sustained momentum of high-level political engagement. These further underscore how continuous leadership-level exchanges have reinforced strategic trust at the highest political level and reflected both countries' long-term commitment to advancing bilateral ties.

The relationship has also become increasingly important within multilateral diplomacy. Coordination between Beijing and Islamabad at the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other international platforms reflects a broader convergence among Global South countries seeking a more balanced international order. Their recent joint diplomatic engagement regarding the Middle East crisis – including support for ceasefire initiatives, de-escalation and dialogue – demonstrated how middle and major powers from the Global South are beginning to shape conflict management beyond traditional Western frameworks.

At the same time, the relationship is becoming increasingly people-centered. Thousands of Pakistani students now study in China, while scientific, cultural and medical cooperation continues to expand. Pakistani officials increasingly describe the relationship not only as "people-to-people" connectivity, but also as "heart-to-heart" ties. At 75, China-Pakistan relations are not defined by diplomatic nostalgia. They are evolving into a strategic example of how developing countries can pursue modernization, connectivity and geopolitical stability while preserving sovereignty and strategic autonomy. In a fragmented international environment increasingly shaped by distrust and zero-sum rivalry, that may be the partnership's most significant message.

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