KARACHI: A delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) visited Beijing as well as Ürümqi, capital of the Xinjiang autonomous region, during a week-long tour to China.
China Economic Network, a subsidiary of the Economic Daily Group which hosted the CPNE delegation, briefed them on the social and economic prosperity of China, aided by stats and figures. The network has a strong presence on the internet, available in both English and Chinese languages, with audio and video material of the State Council Information office.
Director General Zhang Ye also shed light on the past month’s 19th people’s congress meeting to the delegation and also Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for the peace and stability. The delegation was also briefed about Chinese Communist Party’s drive to tackle the menace of corruption and bribery.
Foreign Ministry’s Asian Division Director Chen Feng also briefed the delegation on China’s stance on all of the pressing regional and international issues. He shed light on all the recent developments with regards to the One Belt One Road project, especially all the steps to ensure CPEC is a success on a global scale.
The delegation was also informed about the promotion of Urdu literature and art at the Peking University by Department of Ethnicity head Tang Ming. Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khalid hosted the delegation to its first dinner, on which he told that President Xi Jinping has been elected president for the five years at last month’s Communist Party’s meeting.
He also disclosed that the Chinese were planning on the One Belt One Road project for the last 20 years, but Pakistan must act now to make that idea into a reality, by taking all the necessary steps. He said that since Chairman Mao, President Xi has emerged as China’s strongest leader.
Ürümqi Information Office Deputy Director Ghayrat Salief told the delegation that Xinjiang had three times the area of Pakistan with a high concentration of wheat cultivation. He said that the wheat was being exported to Pakistan and Uzbekistan. He also elaborated on the position of the textile industry and textile-related projects in the province.
The delegation also toured windmill manufacturing named Gold Wind, which stands third in the global ranking for windmill energy. The delegate then had a tour of bullet-train manufacturing plant called Railway Heavy Industries Complex (CRCC). The delegate observed the different phases involved in the making of bullet trains. The delegation also toured a heavy-machinery manufacturing plant.
The last part of the tour involved delegation’s visit to Ürümqi Dry Port from where cargo trains connect China with Europe. The delegation was also told about the transit mechanism involved in the trade of goods. CPNE delegation comprises with the leadership of Senior Vice President Shaheen Qureshi and Secretary General Aijazul Haq, senior editors Arif Nizami, Imtiaz Alam, Dr Jabbar Khattak, Rehmat Ali Raazi, Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi, Siddiq Baloch, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Kazam Khan, Abdul Rahman Mangrio, Waseem Ahmed, Abdul Khaliq Ali, Muhammad Aslam Khan and Ahmed Iqbal Baloch.
