Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan held wide-ranging talks with Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, on Saturday and the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties including discussions on the bilateral economic and trade relations, onward march of CPEC and important issues of regional and global concern.

He was accompanied by foreign minister, minister for finance, minister for planning, reform and special initiatives, minister for information and broadcasting and senior officials. The interaction between the two leaders was marked by traditional sentiments of warmth, deep mutual trust and understanding.

The two sides reaffirmed the centrality of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and reiterated support for each other’s issues of core interest.

Congratulating Premier Li for organizing Beijing Winter Olympics, the prime minister highlighted that strategic ties between Pakistan and China served the fundamental interests of the two countries and were a factor of peace and stability in the region. He added that successful celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations held last year injected a new impetus to bilateral friendship.

The Prime Minister thanked the Chinese government for support and assistance to Pakistan in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and timely supply of vaccines.

The Prime Minister appreciated the transformational impact of CPEC on Pakistan’s infrastructure, energy, socio-economic development and improvement in livelihoods of the people. He underlined that Pakistan was committed to high quality development of CPEC through its mutually reinforcing industrial, trade, health, digital and green corridors.

The Prime Minister shared with Premier Li the measures taken by the government to provide policy guidance and support for enhanced Chinese investments in the CPEC SEZs and Special Technology Zones, and for safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan. The two leaders agreed to work closely on further deepening bilateral economic engagement and reaffirmed their commitment to further advance the multifaceted strategic cooperative ties and building the Pakistan-China Community of Shared Future in the New Era.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan while appreciating the interest of Chinese companies for enhancing business ties with Pakistan, highlighted that government of Pakistan had offered many incentives to foreign enterprises especially from China for investment in Pakistan Special Economic Zones.

The Prime Minister stated this during his second day of meetings with business leaders of China’s top state-owned and private enterprises here on Saturday. The executives who met the Prime Minister included Chairmen of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), Power China, East Sea Group, China Railway Group Limited (CREC), China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), Beijing Century Industrial Development Co. Ltd (CENTINCO) and the CHINAMEX Group.

During the meetings, the Chinese businesspersons briefed the Prime Minister on the progress of their on-going projects in Pakistan and future investment plans worth billions of US dollars in the fields of energy, refining, petrochemical, infrastructure development, water management, information and communication technology (ICT), and housing.

The prime minister assured that Pakistan would continue to support and facilitate the Chinese companies for their expanded footprints in Pakistan. The Prime Minister was accompanied in the meetings by the members of cabinet and senior officials. Separately, Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday held an online meeting with Chairman China Energy and Engineering Corporation Dr. Song Hailiang and Chairman Power China Dr. Ding Yanzhang.

The meeting was about increasing investment in Pakistan’s energy sector including renewable energy and improvement in irrigation infrastructure, PM Office Media wing said in a press release

Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Shaukat Fayyaz Tarin, Information Minister Ch Fawad Hussain, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Special Assistant to PM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf and senior officials concerned attended the meeting.