Bilateral ties: China promises energy support, says Weidong

Country’s ambassador stresses working mutually on projects.

ISLAMABAD:

Ambassador of China to Pakistan Sun Weidong has said that his country would provide Pakistan with advanced energy technology to improve the country’s transmission and transformation system.

In an interview with Radio Pakistan, the ambassador said China would also give energy management expertise to Pakistan in a bid to deal with the issue. “China was already executing the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project, Tarbela expansion and Nandipur Power Project,” said Weidong. “Additionally, the Chinese government has been encouraging Chinese institutions to finance Port Qasim, Thar Coal Power Project and other renewable energy projects.”

Weidong added that China would also uplift the energy cooperation with Pakistan and wanted the latter to take full advantage of the bilateral energy working group.

“Pakistan-China friendship is at its full momentum based on solid public support and strong people to people contact.”

He said the visits of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain was of great significance. “PM Sharif visited China twice within a year and both counterparts exchanged visits within a six-week period.”

Highlighting the economic ties between Pakistan and China, Weidong said bilateral trade in 2013 had risen to $14.2 billion witnessing 14.5 % increase than the previous year.

Chinese investment in Pakistan increased to $1.2 billion during the same period with 99.9% increase over the last year.

Weidong informed that Chinese investment in Pakistan had touched $2.2 billion, making the latter its second largest trade partner and its largest investment destiny.

According to Weidong, China is implementing various projects in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) states, maintaining close cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries in addition to supporting regional projects like Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI), Iran-Pakistan pipeline and KASA.

Commenting about the planned Pak-China Economic Corridor, Weidong said the project would comprise energy, transportation projects and an economic zone that would cover all major parts of Pakistan thus bringing people from both the countries closer.

He also mentioned the two meetings of the joint cooperation committee on the project in which both the sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of related projects.

“Additionally China and Pakistan are engaged in upgrading the Karakorum Highway and Chinese companies are interested in working on various other projects including highways, railways, urban metro system, ports and shipping.”

Weidong said China was also building a cross-border fiber optic cable project to enhance connectivity between the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2014.

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