Gwadar and Yangpu port can have sister city relationship: Ambassador Haque

BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque said that Pakistan and China's Hainan have great potential for cooperation in the field of port and shipping and opined that the Gwadar port and China's Yangpu Free Trade Port can have a sister city relationship.

The Gwadar Port is an important hub of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which connects China's western region and the Arabian Sea. While Yangpu Port is an important hub for the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port and a node for integration into the new western land-sea corridor, he said in interview.

Ambassador Haque said that he attaches great importance to the profound friendship between China and Pakistan.

According to CEN, he said that the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is booming and he is very optimistic about the cooperation between Pakistani cities and Hainan in the fields of port and shipping, education, and agriculture.

"With the increase in trade volume between Pakistan and China and the increase in economic and trade exchanges, I think the two ports can all play a vital role in cementing trade between China and Pakistan," he added.

China's aviation authority unveiled a plan in 2020 to trial the Seventh Freedom of the Air in the Hainan FTP, a move aimed at boosting the opening-up of the air-transport industry.

Ambassador Haque said that the seventh freedom will allow airlines from various countries to enter Hainan, and stimulate the development of Hainan's civil aviation industry and the construction of Hainan FTP.

"I think that is a good development because Hainan is a tropical area, it's very famous for its beautiful beaches and tropical forests. I think this policy will attract more tourists to Hainan and promote its development," he added.

Ambassador Haque is also very optimistic about bilateral cooperation in the field of education. "Agriculture is a very strong sector of Hainan, and Pakistan is also a strong agricultural country. We would like more and more Pakistani students to come and study master and doctoral courses in the field of agriculture, and apply their studies to promote the development of Pakistan's agriculture."

The year 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan. "China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The important thing is that we want to pass on our friendship to the next generation," he added.