The China’s economic growth is benefitting Pakistan’s economy as the former’s interest here is attracting foreign investors in the country.
Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PJCCI) President Shah Faisal Afridi said this in a exclusive interview with APP.
Shah Faisal Afridi said reliable and steadfast friendship between China and Pakistan was considered as an example all over the world and its economic benefits for Pakistan were getting more imminent day by day.
The emergence of China as an international economic power was proving to be advantageous for Pakistan, he added.
Regardless of the law and order situation, the Chinese investment is increasing and the business leaders of private sectors were also playing an important role in strengthening economic relations, he remarked.
He said the role of president & founder of Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PJCCI) was the most prominent in this respect, adding his aim was to develop PCJCCI as a model chamber that shall serve as an apex platform for promoting mutual investment and strengthening Pak-China friendship.
The objective behind the establishment of this platform was to pave a way for two-way trade and investment by eliminating hurdles between the business communities, he added.
To a question, he elaborated that China was a huge economy which was gaining importance in global economic scenario, while Pakistan was geographically attached to China, thus, by taking advantage of China’s modern technology and experiences, “we may strengthen Pakistan’s economy”.
“We are already running a number of successful businesses and industrial joint venture projects with private and government companies in China. Now we have started tractor and truck manufacturing in Pakistan with the help of a Chinese company Shifeng, as a result of which a company Ruba Automotives has been established in Pakistan.”
Under the supervision of Ruba Automotives, trucks and tractors with modern technology had been introduced in the country, he said, adding that centers were established at Lahore and Rawalpindi for their manufacturing, assembling and import.
Shah Faisal Afridi said that under this project the light commercial vehicles (LCV), electric cars, industrial tires, diesel generators and fork lift trucks had been imported to boost agricultural growth in Pakistan.
He said that Raahi tractors were of the latest design and modern technology which were still being used with the name Shifeng in the European countries and had won the confidence of its users.
Appreciating the government for celebration of 65 years of Pak-China relationship, the PCJCCI president said that nature had bestowed Pakistan with all types of resources in abundance and a friend like China had been complementing the elements of growth.
He was of the view that the world had now become a global village and “we cannot survive without connecting with neighbouring countries. Nowadays, safeguarding ones economic benefits is first priority of every country.”
Focusing on the economic gains, “we shall promote trade and mutual investments with the neighboring countries”, he remarked.
He said that European countries fought with each other for hundreds of years but mutual economic benefits had united them in the form of European Union. He asserted that in order to safeguard country’s ideological and geographical boundaries, trade agreements with neighbouring countries should be signed and maintained. In this way regional trade will flourish and Pakistan’s economy shall recover, he added.