Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) has decided to take steps for attracting Chinese investment in eight potential industrial sectors including furniture, handicrafts, textile, fertilizers, cement, glasswork energy and pharmaceuticals.
A monthly review meeting chaired by PCJCCI President Shah Faisal Afridi on Wednesday discussed the plan for bringing foreign direct investment from China. He emphasized to lay down a long-term strategy to maintain a sustainable process for paving way of joint ventures between Pakistan and China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC, he said, is the dynamic portfolio of various projects with the investment started from $46bn and now reached up to $59bn following addition of new projects.
He said the CPEC is basically a framework of regional connectivity that will not only benefit the countries of China and Pakistan but will also have positive impacts on Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian Republic, and on overall region. The mega project is going to provide us with the enhancement of geographical linkages having improved road, rail and air transportation system with frequent and free exchanges of services, said and underlined the need of people to people contact for enhancing understanding through academic, cultural and regional knowledge.
PCJCCI President said that a number of special measures had been taken by PCJCCI to fill in the gap in people to people communication, for which as a first step strong efforts had been made to overcome language barrier. "Our move to promote Chinese language in Pakistan was being reciprocated by the Chinese people to promote Urdu language in China" he said. In this context, exchange of students between the two countries is also playing a vital role. He also announced to celebrate the Chinese New Year at a broader level this year to spread awareness and information in Pakistan regarding the Chinese ways of celebration and festivity.