President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday visited SANY Heavy Industry Co, Ltd in Changsha, Hunan province, China.

During the visit, President Zardari was briefed by Chairman of Sany Group, Tang Xiuguo, on the company’s advanced manufacturing systems, product lines and ongoing investments in research and development.

Vice Mayor of Changsha Qian Lixia was also present on the occasion.

The visit focused on exploring avenues for industrial cooperation, technology transfer and investment between Pakistan and China in the engineering and construction machinery sector, the President Secretariat’s media wing said in a press release.

During the visit, the president was given a detailed overview of SANY’s operations, including its core business areas of concrete machinery, excavators, cranes, piling equipment and road machinery.

He was also informed about the company’s financial and operational performance, including its 2024 operating revenue, which was $11.27 billion, product segmentation and sustained investment in innovation and R&D capacity.

The president was accompanied by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon and others.

China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, were also present on the occasion.

The president was given a tour of the company’s flagship No. 18 Factory, which is a digitally integrated manufacturing facility recognised for its advanced automation and data-driven production systems.

He was briefed on the factory’s intelligent operations, high automation rate and its role as a benchmark for modern industrial manufacturing.

He noted the scale of technological integration and its relevance for countries seeking to modernise industrial production and improve efficiency.

President Zardari appreciated the scale, sophistication and technological depth of SANY’s manufacturing ecosystem.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in industrial technology, skill development and joint ventures that could support Pakistan’s infrastructure and industrial growth.

He also highlighted the potential for collaboration in areas such as construction machinery, digital manufacturing, clean energy and engineering solutions.

Tang Xiuguo underlined the company’s commitment to innovation, digitalisation and international partnerships and informed about the country’s ongoing operations in Pakistan and expressed the willingness to explore opportunities for increased collaboration with Pakistan in manufacturing, technology exchange and capacity building.