Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan and China are good neighbours and that the friendship between both countries is eternal and unique. He expressed these views while addressing the Punjab-Jiangxi Business Forum- 2017, at a local hotel here today.
The friendship, he added, is devoid of pressure and constraints, and has lived up to its expectations, every time. During war or peace; or at the time of calamity, China has always stood up for Pakistan, he said. The CM also acknowledged China’s support for Pakistan at the UN and other international forums.
He said that the critics of the ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC) are against the prosperity of Pakistan. “Our neighbour in the East, along with some other countries, is unnerved; but the CPEC is continuously putting the enemy’s efforts down. The enemies should listen; we will join hands to make this project successful at any cost, as it is a guarantor of development and prosperity of Pakistan and the region. Insha’Allah, once the CPEC is completed, Pakistan will win the economic war with the neighbouring countries” he added.
The CM said, “We welcome the business leaders and a high-ranking delegation of Jiangxi province to Punjab’s historic city of Lahore. The holding of the business forum is a welcome step, as feasible suggestions would be revealed for the promotion of economic cooperation between Punjab and the Chinese province of Jiangxi”.
He added, “It is said that Pakistan-China friendship is higher than the Himalayas, sweeter than honey, deeper than the deepest sea and stronger than iron. China has made this quite true”. He said that after getting a historic mandate from the people during the elections of 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited China, on an invitation extended by the Chinese leadership, and said that he was also included in that delegation. The Chinese leadership assured their full cooperation in different sectors, including eradication of energy crisis in Pakistan, during that tour. China has presented a gift of 60 billion dollars’ investment in the form of the CPEC, and billions of dollars are being spent on energy and transport related projects. “Similarly”, he added, “China has also planned Peshawar-Karachi Railway line Project. It is regrettable that the opponents of the development of the country also criticise CPEC projects without any reason, but despite all criticism, China fulfilled its friendship by continuing its cooperation with Pakistan”.
He said that with the completion of energy projects, the energy crisis in Pakistan would come to an end, in fact, by the end of this year, sufficient electricity will be available for industry, agriculture, livestock and other sectors. He said that 1320MW Sahiwal Coal Power Plant would be inaugurated next month, and this project will be completed in a record – short – time. The cm said that “this project has broken the Chinese record in regards to their completion of projects in the least possible time”. He said that 250 students are learning the Chinese language in Beijing University and are being sponsored by the Punjab government. These students will act as a bridge, after their return to Pakistan, between Beijing and Islamabad, Beijing and Lahore, and Beijing and other provinces. “The students are our future and they will ensure national development and prosperity; and that the expenses being shouldered by the province were worth it all”, he said.
The chief minister said that Punjab and the Chinese province of Jiangxi would be great partners in their journey towards prosperity. Mutual cooperation, he added, between the two provinces would extend to different fields, including education, industry, energy, livestock, agriculture and pharmaceutical sectors, etc. He said that huge investment options are available in different sectors in Punjab and that the Chinese investors can even invest in industrial park projects in Punjab.
Member Central Committee of Communist Party of China Mr. Lu Xinshe said that economic cooperation between the Punjab and Jiangxi should be promoted rapidly as vast options for mutual cooperation are available in different sectors, including agriculture, industry and energy etc. He said that Punjab and Jiangxi are both agricultural provinces that can benefit from each other’s’ experiences. Cooperation in the industrial sector can also be promoted between Punjab and Jiangxi. Promotion of bilateral cooperation between the two provinces in agriculture, education, industry, tourism and energy sectors would benefit people of both provinces. He added “it is my first visit to Pakistan and I have been given tremendous love and affection wherever I have gone. I cannot forget the hospitality and affection of the people of Punjab. He said that Punjab had tremendously progressed under the unsurpassed leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif; Shahbaz Sharif has proved his abilities by expeditious completion of the projects. “’Punjab Speed’ has been the talk of the town due to speedy completion of projects in Punjab. Shahbaz Sharif and his team have gained numerous achievements due to their hard-work. The way Punjab is progressing, likewise, our province Jiangxi is also progressing”. He said that chief minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has sped up the work on CPEC and other projects and that he is the most popular leader in Pakistan who has practically shown determination and set examples for development in the real sense. He said that time is right for both provinces to cooperate in economic activities because of the ongoing CPEC and one belt one road projects. The place is right because Punjab is the most developed province of Pakistan He said that the agreements between the two provinces would promote bilateral economic cooperation.
During the Punjab-Jiangxi Business Forum, economic cooperation agreements were signed between the two provinces. Agreements were also signed between the industrialists of both the provinces for promoting bilateral cooperation. Member Central Committee of Communist Party of China Lu Xinshe, Members of the Chinese delegation, Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin, provincial ministers, MNAs and MPAs, investors of Pakistan including the Punjab and the Chinese province of Jiangxi, attended the business forum.
Provincial Minister for Finance Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha and DG Commerce of Jiangxi Mr Wang Shui Ping also addressed the business forum.