Want to further improve coordination with China: PM

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that the efforts were being made to further streamline and improve coordination with China at all levels, especially when the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project had entered into its second phase.

In a meeting with Zhao Baige, Vice Chair of the 12th NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair of the Advisory Committee of Belt & Road Initiative International Think Tank of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who called on him at PM Office, the prime minister said in its second phase, the critical areas such as agriculture, socio-economic development etc had also been included in the CPEC, said a PM Office statement.

Ms. Zhao, also the Chair of Advisory Committee of CASS-RDI, was accompanied by  Fang Cal, Vice Chairman and Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chairman of China Overseas Ports Holding Company Ltd, Bao Zhong Zhang, Chairman Huangshan Duowei Biology Co Ltd, Guang Hui Chen, Chairman Wuhan Landing Medical Hi-Tech Co Ltd, Xiao Rong Sun, President Chenjiancheng TVSKY, Jiancheng Chen, Chairman Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Services Co Ltd, Zi Hai Wang and Director RDI Secretariat Wen Qing Xu.

Minister for Planning Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, SAPM Naeem-ul-Haq, Senator Faisal Javed and Javed Afridi were also present during the meeting.

The prime minister welcomed the delegation and said that it was a matter of great satisfaction to note that all-weather and time-tested Pakistan-China friendship was transforming into a robust economic partnership.

He added that Pakistan wanted to learn from Chinese experience and expertise in different sectors. He said that a special cell was being established at Prime Minister’s Office to ensure seamless coordination between businesses of public and private sectors.

Ms. Zhao, in her remarks, said that China would continue extending all possible cooperation to Pakistan in areas such as agriculture, health, housing and socio-economic development.