Vice Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, Lian Weiliang has assured Minister for Power Omar Ayub that China would extend all support for expansion of Pakistan energy market.
Talking to the minister for power at Suzhou (China), Lian said Pakistan has great potential to grow and its energy market will witness major expansion in the coming years and assured that China would continue to complement Pakistan's efforts in reforming and expanding its energy sector.
Omar Ayub Khan thanked Lian for inviting Pakistan's delegation to attend the Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, and hoped that the conference under China's visionary leadership would play a critical role in rebuilding and diversifying regional energy landscape.
He also took the opportunity to brief his interlocutor about the energy priorities of the PTI government. Highlighting the areas of investment he quoted that the upgrading Pakistan's distribution system requires an investment worth over $5 billion, while upgrading transmission system would require an even larger size of investment. He added that Pakistan's GDP is more than $300 billion and demand for more electricity consumption is growing rapidly, opening up more opportunities for foreign direct investment in the country.
The federal minister also extended invitation to Lian Weiliang to visit Pakistan. During the meeting with Lian Weiliang, a minister-level Chinese official hoped that Pak-China energy ties would further deepen and solidify.
He also affirmed that both countries could regularly review the progress of various energy projects and jointly formulate strategies and plans to oversee their speedy and timely execution. He particularly stressed that Chinese leadership at the highest level remains committed to further invest in Pakistan's energy sector for its consolidation and self-sufficiency.