China will encourage its major entrepreneurs to enhance business relationship between Shanghai and Karachi as sister cities for mutually beneficial cooperation. This was stated by vice major of Shanghai Tang Deng Jie during his meeting with Zafaruddin Mahmood, who has recently assumed the office of Pakistan's Consul General in the city.
The city leader, who is in-charge foreign relations said that the port cities of Shanghai and Karachi envisaged rich potential to undertake joint ventures for their socio-economic uplift.
While welcoming the opening of Pakistan Consulate Office in the city, Tang hoped it would open new avenues of economic co-operation between the two countries.
He said they considered Pakistan a strong and reliable partner and they were looking forward to develop bilateral partnership in the economic field. He referred to the recent visit to Shanghai by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and said it was very successful and set the directions for achieving their future economic targets.
During the visit, Aziz laid the foundation stone of the Consul General and appointed Zafaruddin Mahmood as head of the mission, who knows the Chinese language very well and acquainted with the business community of China.
Tang further said Shanghai is China's financial and business hub that carried many opportunities for the Pakistani businessmen to get lucrative return of their investment. He assured that he would soon arrange meetings of major Chinese companies with Pakistan Consul General for discussing ways and means to promote economic interaction.
Zafar said the consulate has started working temporarily in a rented apartment, while construction of its own building will also start soon.