ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed for building strong business to business partnership between Pakistan and China to further expand bilateral relationship and augment China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s dividends.

Addressing first meeting of Pakistan China Business and Investment Forum here, he said we need to double our efforts to connect with Chinese business houses and create an enabling environment to attract Chinese investments. He was confident that his visit to China and his meetings with Chinese leadership there will be helpful in accomplishing these targets as well as promote our strategic and cultural relations.

He noted that given our comparatively cheaper labour, relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan by establishing Special Economic Zones will be a win-win situation for businesses of both countries.

He said we can then install agro based industrial houses and export agriculture production to Middle East and other countries. Alluding to Chinese achievements under President Xi Jinping, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan needs to emulate and learn from Chinese model. He said China is at moment one of largest donors to flood victims.  Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said CPEC is now moving towards high quality development focusing on industrial, agriculture, technical and socio-economic cooperation. Ambassador said a Chinese company is constructing textile industrial zone on one hundred and fifty acre of land in Lahore with total investment of one hundred and fifty million dollars.

It will achieve an annual foreign exchange income of four hundred million dollars and provide twenty thousand jobs. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan wants to enhance partnership with China to bolster its exports and become part of its global supply chains.   He said government is committed to removing all bottlenecks which can stand in way of attracting investment in country. 

Minister for Board of Investment Salik Hussain said his department is leading phase two of industrial cooperation under CPEC which envisages establishment of SEZs and fostering business to business cooperation.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 01 2022

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