Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed ‘Punjab-Qingdao Business Seminar’ in Qingdao, an important trade and industrial city of China. Vice Mayor Qingdao Sun Lijie also spoke on the occasion.
In his address to the business seminar, Vice Mayor Qingdao warmly welcomed Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the industrial and trade hub of China. He said that Punjab government has provided a very conducive atmosphere to Chinese investors and due to personal interest taken by the chief minister, Chinese investment is increasing in Punjab, he said. He added that Punjab government has taken splendid and impressive measures for facilitating Chinese investors, therefore, their number is rapidly increasing in the province.
Sun Lijie further said that visit of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif will greatly help in promoting cooperation between Shandong province and Punjab.
The chief minister, while addressing Punjab-Qingdao Business Seminar announced provision of free of cost land to Chinese investors for investment in Punjab and said that the provincial government highly values Chinese investors. He said that Chinese experts and investors working in Pakistan consider it their second home, and added that Chinese industrialists will be provided best facilities in the programme of shifting of industries with technology to Pakistan.
A large number of Chinese industrialists, investors, businessmen and senior officials of government departments attended the seminar. Planning and Development Chairman Jehanzeb Khan and Secretary Industries Khalid Sherdil gave briefings to the participants of the seminar on the facilities being provided by provincial government to investors and industrialists
CM says CPEC will create job opportunities in Pakistan:
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif while talking to a delegation of Chinese investors and industrialists in Qingdao said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has ushered in new era of friendship between the two countries and that this cooperation will leave a positive impact on the entire region. He said that CPEC will play an important role in eliminating terrorism, extremism and poverty from the region and Chinese investment will generate a large number of job opportunities for the Pakistani people.
The chief minister said that CPEC reflects full confidence of Chinese government, President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Chinese leadership in Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and the world is amazed at the pace of work on energy projects. He said that speed, standard and transparency are the hallmark of these projects.
Shehbaz Sharif also visited leading industrial organisations Haier and Hisense Group in Qingdao and inspected their various sections. He was also given a detailed briefing on the production capacity and items produced by these industries. Talking to senior officials of industrial units, the chief minister said that allocation of resources by Chinese industrial organisations for public welfare is commendable and that he was pleased to know that Chinese industrialists are providing resources for low-income groups of people.
He said that this spirit of Chinese industrialists is highly appreciable and added that provision of resources to the deprived segments is praiseworthy and Pakistani industrialists and investors should also come forward in this regard as service to others is the real purpose of creation of man. He expressed the hope that Pakistani industrialists and investors will play their due role in the service to humanity.
The chief minister also met Communist Party of China Secretary Qingdao Li Qun. During the meeting, agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed between Punjab and Qingdao. A joint working group will also be set up to explore possibilities of promotion of cooperation between Punjab and Qingdao in different sectors.
Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were also signed between Punjab Investment Board, Industries Department Punjab and Qingdao. Investors of Punjab and Qingdao also signed agreements and MoUs under which cooperation will be promoted in the setting up of economic zones, textile sector, transport, industrial estates, infrastructure, e-commerce, technical and vocational training and other sectors.
