A Chinese delegation at a meeting with members of Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) on Friday expressed keen interest in having joint ventures with Pakistan in energy sector. The delegation was led by Zhou Jing, Deputy Secretary, Huaiyin District Committee, Communist party of China, Jinan, Li Cheng Chairman, China Council of International Trade, Li Qun from Foreign and Overseas Affairs of Jinan Municipal People's Government and Chinese government officials.
The delegation shared some proposals to make the CPEC projects a success and to promote allied investment from Chinese private sector primarily belonging to SMEs in collaboration with the PCJCCI.
During discussion, PCJCCI Senior Vice President Professor Dr Iqbal Qureshi presented a Turkish report according to which the vast resources of hot springs in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Kashmir can be used to generate 10,000MW hydel power.
Qureshi apprised the members of the hot springs reservoirs and said these can be used as a centralized system of house air-conditioning coupled with developing recreational/ medication in those parts of Pakistan.
He also identified various investment opportunities in other promising sectors of Pakistan including textile, leather, surgical instruments, SEZ development, sports goods, handicrafts, food products, horticulture, floriculture, dairy products and other labor intensive industries.
Endorsing this idea Zhou Jing pledged to disseminate this information among all concerned in China to make this idea a success. She was quite optimistic that some Chinese companies will be ready to set up specially designed turbines to initiate pilot projects of 5 to 10MW hydel power which, if successful, will be emulated for further major power generation units. The delegation head invited the PCJCCI members to attend the upcoming business expo in Jinan to showcase Pakistani products.