Pakistan, China to execute 36 projects worth $14 billion,

[Salman]

Pakistan, China to execute 36 projects worth $14 billion

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and China Will execute 36 projects worth $14 billion during next five years in various fields including education, health, transport, energy and industry, said Pakistan’ Ambassador to China Masood Khan.
He expressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Pak-China Business Forum, at Pak-China Friendship Centre here on Sunday. He said Pakistan wanted to exploit full potential of its ties with the friendly neighbor country - China.
“Pakistan’s business ties with China would be as robust as strategic partnership,” he commented and said that economic relations are placed at top in agenda of every high level interaction.
He said platforms like Pak-China Business Forums will prove to be beneficial for the businessmen who seek guidance as how to do business with China and vice-versa. He said terrorists cannot go for long and that Pakistan provides best protection to Chinese engineers, businessmen and workers.
Khan stressed for collaboration between academia and industry as the universities provide the best nursery to the industrial sector.
He said Pak-China Business Forum is a pioneering effort by COMSATS Institute of Information Technology to enrich business ties with China and explore further avenues.
He said with the passage of time, the leading entities have developed common platforms to enhance linkage with each other. “But we should try to look even better.
Here comes the role of educational institutes to help exploit maximum possible potential between the two countries,” said Pakistan’s ambassador to China.
He said there is a strong aspiration between both the countries for exchange of youth for what such forums prove to be a catalyst.
The ambassador said Shanghai Cooperation Organization has already started enhancing its network and hopefully Pakistan would get its full membership.
He said last year, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has opened branches in Islamabad and Karachi. Moreover, in December 2011, the central banks of China and Pakistan have reached an agreement for currency swap to enable traders of Pakistan and China to use Pakistani Rupee and Chinese Renminbi for transactions and settlements.
“Both these steps would stimulate further growth in Pak-China trade ties,” Masood Khan said.