| Trade between Pakistan and China exceeded $7 billion during 2008 |
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| Friday,May 08,2009 Posted: 13:13 BJT(0513 GMT) |
| From:Business Recorder Article type:Reproduced |
ISLAMABAD (May 08 2009): Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Lou Zhaohui has said the annual trade between Pakistan and China surpassed $7 billion during 2008 and the figure will reach $15 billion by 2011. He stated this while talking to journalists after addressing the business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) here on Thursday.
He said that Sino-Pak time-tested relations would be taken to new heights by bolstering the already cemented mutual ties between the two friendly countries and establishing a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan is the top priority of China.
Earlier addressing the business community at ICCI, he said that China shared 600-km long common border with Pakistan due to which the two countries had many similarities in their civilisations and cultures. He said Pakistan was the first country in South Asia that signed FTA with China to further deepen bilateral trade and economic relations. "China has always helped Pakistan in need of the hour whether it was to overcome banks deposits problems, AJK earthquake, Pakistan satellite programme etc", he added.
He said that over sixty Chinese companies were operating, 122 Chinese projects are going on and about 10,000 Chinese engineers are working in Pakistan, which shows China's commitment to make Pakistan's economy stronger. China is also interested in enhancing co-operation in hydero electricity projects, agriculture sector and other areas with Pakistan, he said, adding that it wanted an economically strong and prosperous Pakistan for further expanding economic relations.
He said during three trips of President Asif Ali Zardari to China, lot of agreements and MoUs were signed to take our bilateral relations to further heights. He invited Pakistani businessmen to increasingly participate in Kashgar and other trade fairs held in China from time to time for exploring new opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
ICCI president Mian Shaukat Masud said China is Pakistan's strategic partner and our relations are based on mutual trust and unanimity of views on important regional and international issues. "These close relations were strongly supplemented and supported by the people and businessmen of both the countries. The friendly co-operation between Pakistan and China was a model of good neighbourly relations based on the principles of peaceful co-existence", he added.
Exchange of business delegations and holding of single country exhibitions could boost the bilateral trade, he said, adding that the marketing tools needed to be studied by the chambers and the diplomatic missions of the two countries. He said people-to-people contacts and exchange of students would give further boost to our friendly relations between the two countries. He suggested for issuance of long term business visas to regular Pakistani businessmen with China.
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