PM Shehbaz showcases agri, IT, SEZs, mines and minerals as key areas for Pak-China cooperation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday highlighted four key areas with immense potential for bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and China. The premier landed in Hangzhou on Saturday, kicking off his four-day official visit to China. He will also visit Beijing, where he is expected to meet the top Chinese leadership. Addressing the Pakistan-China Business-to-Business Investment Conference in Hangzhou, PM Shehbaz listed four areas of importance for Pakistan-China cooperation: agriculture, IT, special economic zones (SEZs), and mines and minerals. Noting that Pakistan was “basically an agrarian economy”, the premier noted the 1,000 Pakistanis who received advanced training in China last year were now back in the country “doing a great job”. He called for both countries to move forward, taking opportunities to improve per-acre yields and have high-quality seeds, best agricultural practices, and mechanisation through which the agricultural sector could be advanced “manifold”. “China imports every year about $100 billion worth of agricultural products from abroad,” he said. “Pakistan’s share is just a fraction … We will be able to produce agricultural products as per your requirements.” He stressed that if both countries worked together, they would be able to not only provide “massive” job opportunities to the rural areas of Pakistan but also create value addition by raising “hundreds of thousands” of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs there who would export items to China. “In the next five to seven years, we expect that we can increase our agricultural product trade to China by about $10bn,” he said. “And this is not a big task. It can be done, it is possible, not difficult at all — but we need your support,” PM Shehbaz said. The premier also drew attention to the potential of SEZs, highlighting that Karachi’s SEZ spanned over 6,000 acres. He stated that the government would be providing “all basic amenities” at the zone to encourage joint investments by Chinese