Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday appreciated China’s extraordinary assistance to Pakistan in the area of defence production and aerospace and said it has helped the country in setting up whole range of heavy industries.

He was talking to Deputy Administrator of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) Wei Yiyin who called on him along with a delegation of China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CPMIEC) here at the PM House.

Prime Minister Nawaz expressed his satisfaction over the state of bilateral cooperation in defence production including the Joint Committee on Cooperation in Defence Technology and Industry between Pakistan and State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) China.

He said that this cooperation would be further strengthened by exploring diverse avenues in future. He said that the decision for induction of Air Defence System in Pakistan by CPMIEC would be finalised after receipt of complete proposal from the Chinese side. He noted with satisfaction the pace of existing joint collaborative mechanism between Ministry of Defence Production and CPMIEC in other fields of mutual interest.

He said Pak-China all weather relationship was based upon shared principles and interests that form the foundation of cooperation in diverse fields. At the official as well as popular levels, there was strong resonance of the long and rich history of close and cordial ties between the two countries, the prime minister said.

He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was the testimony of the deep-rooted and time tested friendship between the two countries. He said this project alone has the potential to change the lives of the people of the entire region for which the government and people of Pakistan were immensely grateful to the Chinese leadership and people, he said.

The CASIC deputy administrator lauded the vision of the prime minister for putting the country on development path and turning around the economy. While expressing satisfaction over the pace of work on CPEC projects, the Chinese side said that apart from the huge economic benefits for the people of Pakistan and the region, the project will bring the people of the two friendly countries even more closer.

The Chinese side also expressed keen interest for investment in gas pipelines in different parts of the country, especially Balochistan. The Chinese delegation included Zhao Xiaolong, Chairman of CPMIEC, Wang Jinfeng, Chief Representative of CPMIEC in Pakistan, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Sun Weidong and Major General Qi Huajun, Defense Attache.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain and other senior officials of the Government were present during the meeting.