SHANGHAI: President Asif Ali Zardari visited the Memorial of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai.

He was accompanied by First Lady, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Located in Shanghai’s historic French Concession, the Memorial preserves the site where the CPC held its founding congress in July 1921.

The president toured the original shikumen-style building and the adjoining exhibition hall showcasing historical relics and documents.

Some 104 years ago, the Party’s first Congress was held here, attended by 13 leaders including Chairman Mao Zedong.

It was here that the Party was founded, which first achieved independence, lifted China out of poverty and backwardness, and has today transformed it into a major military, technological, and economic power.

“It is an honour to visit this historical site where the Communist Party of China was founded. I convey the respect of the people of Pakistan for China’s journey to becoming a major global power.

This friendship, nurtured by the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping, has grown rapidly and remains an all-weather partnership. Our historic ties will continue to strengthen and flourish, President Zardari remarked in the visitors’ book.

The president appreciated the preservation of the site and noted that it offered insight into the early struggles that shaped modern China.

The Memorial is recognised as a national cultural heritage site and is one of Shanghai’s leading historical landmarks.