Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: INP/FILE
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday a new era of cooperation between Pakistan and China had started and would lead to unprecedented development.
“Chinese cooperation and investment in energy, transport and infrastructure will directly benefit the people of Pakistan,” he told Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong.
Sharif said Pakistan-China friendship had now turned into an effective economic relationship.
He said the people of Pakistan were proud of their unwavering friendship with the people of China. He said the $32 billion recent investment by Chinese businesses was a great and welcome gift.
He said the investment would help overcome the country’s energy crisis.
“Every penny received from China will be spent transparently on the welfare of Pakistani people,” he said.
Sharif said the government was following a fast-track policy to implement the projects started with Chinese help.
He said government policies were not only attracting Chinese investment but also creating more jobs. He said China had made tremendous progress and Pakistan wanted to benefit from its experience.
He said the government was committed to making Pakistan a prosperous country.
Sharif said in addition to financial and technical assistance, China had also taken steps to help promote investment in Pakistan. The economy is strengthening due to these measures, he said.
Ambassador Sun expressed of goodwill for the Pakistani people.
He said the Chinese president and prime minister had confidence in the Pakistani government.
He praised the chief minister for his contributions to strengthening the Pak-China friendship. He said the Chinese leaders valued Sharif’s commitment and hard work.
On behalf of the Communist Party, the ambassador invited the chief minister to China.
Earlier, the chief minister met Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Aziz Saleh Al-Ghadeer at his residence in Islamabad.
Bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest were discussed.
He said the people of Pakistan were proud of their friendship with Saudi Arabia and had deep affection for the Saudis, he said.
Sharif said the government too valued its relationship with Saudi Arabia.
The ambassador said Saudi Arabia wanted to see Pakistan become a strong, stable and prosperous country.
He assured the chief minister of Saudi Arabia’s cooperation for the welfare of the people of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2014.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
The CM also said, "china janu, love you. muah!!!"