ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government is making full preparations regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-II and the focus of his upcoming visit to China will be CPEC-II and further promotion of economic relations between Pakistan and China.
The prime minister stated this while talking to a delegation of the representatives of Chinese companies in Pakistan which met him on Friday.
The premier further said that China and Pakistan have a long and deep brotherly relationship which is getting stronger with time. He added that China is an important partner in the development of Pakistan and it helped Pakistan in every bad time, for which the entire nation is grateful to the Chinese leadership and the Chinese people. He said that Pakistan will stand with China on every front.
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He said that the security and protection of Chinese citizens is the top priority of the government and all possible steps are being taken to provide foolproof security to Chinese citizens living in Pakistan. He said that a comprehensive plan has been prepared in this regard.
Shehbaz Sharif encouraged Chinese companies to set up industries in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under B2B transactions and invited the Chinese textile industry to set up their own industries in Pakistan.
The premier said that China is the second largest economy in the world, which is a source of great happiness and satisfaction for Pakistan and the way China lifted 700 million people out of poverty is a beacon for his government. He further said that they wanted to benefit from Chinese experiences in terms of increasing exports. He urged China to help Pakistan, in the light of its experiences, to promote exports in the region and other countries.
He added that Pakistan is an agricultural country and desires to use innovation and technology in the agriculture sector besides Pakistan wants to benefit from the Chinese expertise in the IT industry for the development of Pakistan’s IT sector.
Shehbaz Sharif informed the delegation that the government is taking steps to increase foreign investment in the country and reforms are being undertaken at the government level; the tax net is being broadened and measures are being taken to eliminate leakages in the tax system besides measures are being taken against electricity theft. The state-owned enterprises are being privatised, which will benefit the national exchequer, added the prime minister. He directed to resolve all the problems of Chinese companies.
In the meeting, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal gave a briefing regarding the Pakistan-China JCC. He informed the meeting that upgradation of Railways Line-1, realignment of Karakoram Highway, the establishment of SEZs, Gwadar Port and Agriculture Demonstration Zones will be the priority projects of CPEC.
The representatives of Chinese companies said that Pakistan is their second home and expressed their determination to further expand their business and investment in Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Industry and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Interior Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Minister of Power Owais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Federal Minister of Ports and Shipping Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Minister of Petroleum Musadik Malik, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, Jiang Zedong, Ambassador of China to Pakistan, and relevant senior government officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024