PM to visit China early next month

PM’s aide says Imran has ordered removal of bottlenecks, hindering Chinese investment

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered removal of red-tape hindering Chinese investment in Pakistan, as he prepared to visit Beijing next month to further cement the bilateral ties, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Khalid Mansoor said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launching of the Chinese enterprises report, Mansoor said that the prime minister ordered the removal of 37 regulations to ensure one-window operation for foreign investors. He added that the prime minister would personally be taking briefings on progress on CPEC projects every 15 days.

The annual ‘APCEA Sustainable Development Report 2021’ has been launched by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) and the All-Pakistan Chinese Enterprises Association (APCEA) at a ceremony at the Chinese Embassy. The APCEA represents 200 Chinese companies working in Pakistan.

Mansoor said that he had seen first-hand the work of Chinese enterprises in Pakistan. Through CPEC, the dream of Thar Coal energy became a reality, he said. The CPEC Authority, he added, “is working tirelessly to remove any bottlenecks which may emerge during the execution of the CPEC projects.”

The event was attended by over 100 participants and featured five speeches, including Yang Jiandou,

Chairman APCEA, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Defence Committee and the Pakistan-China Institute, Khalid Mansoor, Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong and Minister Counselor of Economic Affairs of Chinese Embassy Xie Guoxiang.

The participants were informed that Prime Minister Imran would visit China in February. On the occasion, the speakers welcomed the upcoming visit of the prime minister to China in early February, as it would strengthen the bilateral bond.

Hailing the launch of the report as a good step towards enhancing the understanding of the work being done by Chinese enterprises in Pakistan, the speakers appreciated the role of the APCEA and the PCI for documenting the report.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that the APCEA report would serve the purpose of presenting facts and nullifying the fiction being propagated by the adversaries of China about CPEC. He pointed to the recently-passed “Strategic Competition Act” by the US Senate through which the US had allocated $300 million for a “Countering China Influence Fund”.

Against this backdrop, he advised the companies to brace themselves for any disinformation campaigns. He also lauded the upcoming development related to the slashing of the long bureaucratic red-tape of 37 rules and regulations and said that it would facilitate and ease the work of Chinese enterprises.

Senator Sayed criticised the boycott of Beijing Olympics by certain Western countries as biased and based on double standards. He said that 2022 is the year of Pakistan’s Platinum Jubilee, in which Pakistan-China ties had always been at the Centre-stage.

Ambassador Nong Rong, said that last year, China and Pakistan held series of celebrations to reinvigorate their time-tested friendship as both the countries marked the 70th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

Both sides had supported each other in their fight against the global pandemic and pushed forward high quality development of CPEC, he said. China had invested over $25 billion in Pakistan on CPEC projects generating 75,000 jobs, producing 5500kw of electricity and building over 500 kilometres of roads.

Xie Guoxiang told the ceremony that the trade and economic cooperation between two countries had been cemented since the start of CPEC. Chinese enterprises, he maintained, had done marvellous work which could be clearly seen in the report.

Yang Jiandou, Chairman APCEA said that Chinese enterprises had pursued sustainable development strategies in Pakistan and their role was not limited to building motorways and constructing power projects.

The Chinese enterprises had improved people’s livelihood, implemented eco-friendly development, joined hands with Pakistani counterparts to fight pandemic, and helped in developing local education. Moreover, he added, the leadership of APCEA had been committed to enhance the connectivity between Chinese enterprises and the local business bodies.