Daily Times

Zhao Kai, President, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Shenyang Sub-Council along with a delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ICCI to promote bilateral trade and investment between Pakistan and China. Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President, ICCI and Zhao Kai President CCPIT-Shenyang Sub-Council signed the MoU. Rafat Farid Senior Vice President, Iftikhar Anwar Sethi Vice President ICCI, M. Ejaz Chaudhry former MNA & a businessman and others were present at the occasion.

By signing MoU, both sides agreed to keep constant contact and make efforts to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China. They agreed to exchange regularly market information to explore new possibilities for enhancing business cooperation between their members. They will assist visits of trade delegations between the two countries and encourage bilateral investment & technology transfer. Both sides will assist each other in organizing or participating in exhibitions, trade fairs, conferences, business seminars, training programs and forums taking place in respective countries.

Speaking at the occasion, Zhao Kai, President, CCPIT-Shenyang Sub-Council said that his organization was national foreign trade and investment promotion agency of China and the purpose of signing MoU with ICCI was to accelerate efforts for promoting bilateral trade and investment between China and Pakistan. He said CCPIT has about 150,000 members in China and it would work with ICCI to promote connectivity between the enterprises of both countries. He said CCPIT along with a delegation of 35 enterprises of Shenyang City of China has recently participated in an Expo at Karachi and it was planning an Expo at Islamabad next year for which cooperation of ICCI was required. He said that a delegation of Pakistani enterprises should also visit Shenyang city to explore opportunities of business collaboration in investment in China.

Addressing the delegation, Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President ICCI said that CPEC has created great opportunities for business and investment in Pakistan while in the next phase of industrial cooperation under CPEC, many Special Economic Zones would be established in Pakistan. He urged that Chinese enterprises should bring in technology and setup JVs in SEZs in Pakistan. He hoped that MoU between ICCI and CCPIT would further strengthen business relations between Pakistan and China.

M. Ejaz Chaudhry, former MNA and member of PTI Central Committee said that PTI government was very open to investment and Chinese companies should set up business partnerships in Pakistan. He said Pakistani exporters have also great prospects to promote exports to China and they should take benefit of such prospects. He assured that he would fully cooperate with ICCI in promoting business relations between Pakistan and China.

Published in Daily Times, December 18^th 2018.