Pakistan

Zardari woos Chinese investors

Zardari invites Chinese builders and constructors to take advantage of Pakistan’s new investment environment.

November 14, 2010

GUANGZHOU: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday invited Chinese builders and constructors to take advantage of Pakistan’s new investment environment. The president invited them to build Zulfikarabad city in Sindh and other infrastructure projects in different parts of the country devastated by floods, in what he said was “a guaranteed win-win scenario both for Pakistan and the investors”.

President Zardari was of the view that the devastation caused by the recent floods had in fact opened new opportunities for rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, as he stated, “Let us together convert this calamity into an opportunity for mutual benefit”.

He was addressing the Pakistan-China Economic Forum in the Chinese city of Guangzhou where the president had arrived to witness the 16th Asian Games.

Talking to the media, the president’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the president also used the Pakistan-China Economic Forum to announce that the government had decided to ease the restrictions on shareholdings in construction, telecom and finance projects thereby unlocking doors to investment in mega infrastructure projects.

“Let us further build on the political statement of our great leaders and build infrastructural connectivity projects including roads, bridges and a railway line connecting the Gwadar port to China,” the president said, while referring to former leaders Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mao Tse-Tung, who together were instrumental in enhancing communication systems between Pakistan and China, by establishing the Karakoram Highway previously.

“Pakistan is at the crossroads of huge markets in Asia, Central Asia and Middle East”, the president remarked, adding, “The location of our country, together with low cost labour and special incentives offers great opportunities to entrepreneurs”. Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan set the tone for Chinese entrepreneurs and welcomed their possible involvement in the reconstruction process. Babar said that the remarks prompted leading Chinese entrepreneur and vice chairman of China Chamber of Commerce and Board Chairman of China Railways Construction Corporation Li Guorui who announced dispatching a delegation of entrepreneurs from Guangdong to Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (2)

Haroon Rashid | 13 years ago | Reply Honorable Ambassador China Masood Khan Sahib, China Chamber of Commerce and Board Chairman of China Railways Construction Corporation Li Guorui at the Pakistan-China Economic Forum we have to thank China for the great gesture of goodwill which was expressed for the first office of China Mobile by securing the license of in the telecom., sector, and the most successful entry operation in the telecommunication sector for introducing country wide roaming on internet GPRS/EDGE for Rs.200-00 per month, for 2GB. China Mobile the worlds biggest operator has a showcase in Pakistan. In the first week of December, 2010 the worlds biggest High Speed Railway conference, workshop held in Beijing showcasing the technology which was applauded worldwide in high speed surpassing 480 per hour, the highest than Japan, Europe has achieved todate. I'm sure Honourable Li Guorui will consider Pakistan as the first track laid through out Pakistan for the High Speed Rail with the Chinese Ministry of Railways from Chinese Railway Construction Corporation., with rolling stock to be brought by the private sector from Pakistan and worldwide. I'm sure our Honourable Ambassador China Mr. Masood Khan will have witnessed now in Beijing the worlds first and the biggest high speed railway event and will have expressed an EOI, LOI, to the respective Chinese group for a show case demonstration in Pakistan. Thank you Honorable Masood Khan Sahib.,

Asif Ali Bhutto | 14 years ago | Reply As long as the money invested is private '' NO GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT '' this is a good opportuniy to invest!

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