Pakistan and China commit to strengthening cooperation across various sectors

Pakistan and China have agreed to strengthen cooperation in key areas such as counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling, and anti-narcotics efforts.

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Islamabad between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and a high-level Chinese delegation led by Minister for Political and Legal Affairs, Chen Mingguo.

The meeting decided to conduct joint exercises of police and paramilitary forces in Gilgit-Baltistan or Xinjiang and train Gilgit-Baltistan police officers at the Xinjiang Police Academy.

Both ministers also agreed to take comprehensive measures against terrorism.

It was also decided that a Pakistani delegation, led by the Federal Secretary of Interior, would soon visit Xinjiang to enhance mutual cooperation.

Mohsin Naqvi said that Xinjiang province is of vital importance for Pakistan. He underscored that besides being Pakistan’s neighbor, we have a 600-kilometer-long border with Xinjiang.

He emphasized that Pakistan wants to completely eliminate smuggling of drugs, arms, and all other goods.

Minister Chen Mingyuo expressed the desire to enhance relations with Pakistan in all fields.

He highlighted that Pakistan can benefit from Xinjiang’s experience in counter-terrorism.

In a significant meeting held yesterday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with a high-level Chinese delegation led by Minister for Political and Legal Affairs Chen Mingguo to discuss enhancing cooperation in counterterrorism, cross-border efforts, and tackling smuggling and drug-related issues.

Both sides agreed to explore joint exercises between police and paramilitary forces in Gilgit-Baltistan or Xinjiang, and the training of Gilgit-Baltistan police officers at the Xinjiang Police Academy was also confirmed.

Chen highlighted Xinjiang’s own experience with terrorism and invited Naqvi to visit the region.

Naqvi emphasized the importance of strengthening ties with Xinjiang due to its proximity to Pakistan’s 600-kilometre border and its strategic role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Chinese delegation included high-ranking officials from Xinjiang’s legal and police sectors.

Separately, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong announced that China had trained 2,700 officers last year and plans to train an additional 3,000 officers globally, including from Pakistan, over the next 12 months.

Other than this, two major Chinese companies, Rainbow Industries Ltd. and Shaoxing Chemical Industry, have announced plans to establish plants in Pakistan to produce raw materials for the textile industry, facilitated by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

This investment aims to revitalize Pakistan's textile sector, bringing millions of dollars and advanced technology to boost growth.

Despite challenges such as high energy tariffs, the government is working on measures to mitigate these issues, including a 10-year duty-free machinery import scheme and establishing units in special economic zones for foreign investors.

The significance of the textile industry, contributing 55% to Pakistan’s exports and employing 45% of the manufacturing workforce, was highlighted at the "Nine Color & Chem Expo," which brought together over 300 exhibitors from countries including China, Malaysia, Türkiye, and Iran.

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has urged the government to reduce interest rates and energy costs, stressing the sector's potential to reach $50 billion in exports by 2030.

The textile industry’s dependency on cotton has been a challenge, with Pakistan’s cotton yield stagnating over the past 30 years, while countries like China have seen substantial growth in yield.