Chinese farm technologies ‘to flow into Pakistan’

Spokesman Zhao Lijian says agri sector integral part of CPEC’s phase II

BEIJING:

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said that as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) entered its second phase, more Chinese agricultural technologies will follow suit and head toward Pakistan.

“China-Pakistan cooperation in cultivating rice, corn, soybean, sugarcane and other crops has yielded fruitful results and play the important role in promoting the development of our bilateral relations and deepening friendship between our people,” he said while responding to a question asked by this agency during his regular briefing.

The spokesperson was referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks made last week at the launch ceremony of Kisan Portal. The premier had stressed that farmers in Pakistan must replicate Chinese techniques to boost productivity, adding that the agricultural sector had been made an integral part of the second phase of CPEC.

"We have been continuing the same practices in Pakistan that existed in Mohenjo-Daro," he regretted.

Responding to PM Khan’s remarks, Zhao Lijian said:  “As the CPEC enters the second phase, there will be more Chinese agricultural technologies flowing into Pakistan which means huge potential in our agricultural cooperation.

Terming both countries “all-weather strategic cooperative partners”, he remarked that the agricultural cooperation is an integral part of CPEC an important pilot project of Belt and Road Initiative.

Read More: Pakistan can learn from China’s tropical farming

“We will continue to uphold the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and the mutual benefit,” he added.

China would remain in close communication with Pakistan in the work to form efficient practical cooperation mechanism to promote socio-economic development and improve people’s wellbeing to build an even closer China-Pakistan community with shared future in the new era, he added.

It may be mentioned here that Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam has also underscored the importance of adopting Chinese technology for abundant agricultural outcomes.

“Pakistan can be successful like China by adopting their technology and discipline,” he remarked while speaking as chief guest at an event in connection with World Food Day (WFD) jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) in Islamabad.