President calls for increased trade volume with China

Hopes discussions, visit will help deepen Sino-Pak relations.

KARACHI:

President Mamnoon Hussain has called on the business community of Karachi and Shanghai to play an active role in bolstering Pak- China bilateral trade from the current volume of over $12 billion to $15 billion by 2015.

Hussain said this during his meeting with the Communist Party Secretary Hang Zheng in Shanghai. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, along with ambassadors of the two countries were present during the meeting.

Welcoming the president to Shanghai, the party secretary assured that it will contribute majorly to the development of Pak-China Economic Corridor. He also lauded the role of the leadership of the two countries for anchoring relations on solid foundations.

The president said that fruitful discussions with Chinese leadership would help further deepen bilateral trade and economic cooperation. He expressed his delight to be in Shanghai during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their sister-city relationship.

In connection with anniversary celebrations, the president invited the party secretary to visit Karachi along with a business delegation. “This will help bring the two commercial cities closer and boost bilateral trade and commercial ties to new heights besides exploring new avenues of trade and investment,” he said.

Hussain expressed belief that with active involvement of the businessmen and entrepreneurs from Shanghai and Karachi, the trade target of $15 billion set by the two countries can be easily achieved.

He also thanked the party secretary and the Shanghai government for the warm hospitality extended to him and the accompanying delegation during his stay in Shanghai.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2014.

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