PM Shehbaz says Pak-China friendship inevitable for regional stability

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that Pak-China friendship is inevitable not only for both countries but also for the region and global peace and development.

Talking to Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong who called on him at his office, the prime minister said that China has provided unconditional support to Pakistan during every difficult period.

PM Shehbaz praised the Chinese leadership’s vision of continuously improving strategic relations between Pakistan and China and upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The prime minister also expressed Pakistan’s desire to enhance collaboration with China in the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence, modern agriculture, and other sectors.

Earlier, the prime minister while emphasising the transformation of friendly relations between China and Pakistan into enhanced investment, economic and trade ties, said that the next phase of CPEC will mainly involve business to business arrangements particularly in industrial sector.

He expressed the views while addressing the representatives of international companies doing business in Pakistan including China here on Friday. Governor and Chief Minister of Sindh, Federal Ministers, prominent businessmen and senior officers were also present on this occasion.

“Pakistan and China are two iron brothers and now we have to convert these relations of brotherhood and friendship into enhanced investment, economic and trade relations particularly in the fields of agriculture, information technology, mines, minerals and infrastructure,” he said.

Being an agrarian economy with over 60pc rural population Pakistan need to further strengthen and augment its agricultural produce, he said and informed that Pakistani agricultural exports increased by $3 billion in the last financial year while we have fixed a target of additional $7 billion for the current fiscal year.

Terming it as a quantum leap that required vigorous efforts along with adoption of modern technology and techniques and best practices, PM Shehbaz said that China could be our best partner in achieving this target of boosting agricultural exports and value addition in exports.