Pakistan biggest FDI destination in South Asia: China | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Pakistan biggest FDI destination in South Asia: China

Pakistan Press Foundation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has now become China’s biggest Foreign Direct Investment destination country in South Asia, Ambassador Sun Weidong told a ceremony organised to celebrate the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, here at the Chinese Embassy.

“As we look back into the year 2013, we see the hearts of our two peoples getting closer to each other. It was a year of development and harvest for China-Pakistan relations. Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif exchanged visits and reached a series of consensus on several issues of mutual interest. Bilateral trade was further boosted. Pakistan is now China’s biggest Foreign Direct Investment destination country in South Asia,” the ambassador told the ceremony, comprising high-level Pakistani and Chinese officials.

The ambassador said planning and construction of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has achieved remarkable progress in the fields of energy development and transportation infrastructure. We are expecting the second round of Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting to be held in Beijing in the near future, he said.

“In other areas such as defense, science and technology and people-to-people contacts, we will work hard to make solid progress, which will further benefit both China and Pakistan, and make us more integrated with a common destiny,” the ambassador said.

The envoy said Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the idea of building a Silk Road Economic Belt to link up Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle Eastern countries located along the ancient Silk Road and strengthening regional cooperation. “China is seeking to enhance policy communication, road connectivity, unimpeded trade, monetary circulation, and understanding between the people in the whole region,” he said.

Chief Guest of the ceremony Advisor to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz told the gathering that friendly relations between the two countries had reached new highs. He hoped that every passing day will add vigour to the brotherly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

The speeches were followed by a cultural performance by an art troupe from Kashgar, Xinjiang Province. The songs and folk dances by the performers depicted true colours of the Chinese culture and displayed rich, bright and happy life of the Kashgar people.

The audience enjoyed two classic songs ‘Beautiful Pakistan’ and ‘Fall in Love’ which praise beautiful Pakistan and the diligent and wise people of the country. Popular star Maimai Timing sang in fluent Urdu, symbolising the unbreakable and time-honoured friendship between the people of China and Pakistan.

Female Group Dance ‘Side of Kashgar River’ expressed the aspirations of love life and longing for a better future among all ethnic people in Kashgar through delicate, elegant and graceful dance.
Rubab, which is one of the typical Uygur musical instruments, was played by a Chinese artist with bright tone, wide range and high performance technology. ‘My Rubab’ is a famous solo adapted from the folk song of Kashgar.

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javeed Abbasi, Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman, PML-N Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Latif Khosa and Mushahid Hussain also attended.

Daily Times


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