Pakistani PM to Encourage Companies to Seek Opportunities in China
Wang Lin
DATE:  Nov 06 2018
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Pakistani PM to Encourage Companies to Seek Opportunities in China Pakistani PM to Encourage Companies to Seek Opportunities in China

(Yicai Global) Nov. 5 -- Imran Khan, who was elected as Pakistani Prime Minister this year, is on his first official visit to China and will take part in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

Khan will deliver a speech at the CIIE's opening ceremony as a leader of one of the 12 guest countries. The country's pavilion carries the theme of "Emerging Pakistan" and will hold the "Pakistani Trade and Investment" forum to present its development achievements in recent years, and the opportunities for investment and cooperation in the country, according to an official source.

Pakistani products are slowly becoming a part of everyday life among the Chinese. Hand-made woolen carpets and handicrafts from Pakistan enjoy high popularity on Chinese e-commerce platforms. Pakistani mangoes and seafood are also available in many supermarkets.

China's invitation to Pakistani companies is vital for them to learn about the Chinese market, Aftab Ahmad, the chief executive of Pakistan's paper and board industry leader Century Paper & Board Mills, told Yicai Global.

"Though our country is facing economic pressure, it possesses great potential to recover quickly and continue to progress. The new cabinet is ready and will spare no effort in improving the country's export competitiveness," Ahmad said.

Ahmad has two expectations from Sino-Pakistan trade. One of them is the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, which is in its second phase of negotiations, and is expected to bring more opportunities for Pakistan to export to China. The other is convenience of obtaining visas for Pakistani businessmen visiting China.

China will actively push forward Chinese companies' investment into Pakistan, and promote cooperation with the local companies in various fields, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan told Yicai Global. China will also strengthen exchange and cooperation between the two countries' customs and inspection and quarantine departments, and further open up China's agricultural market for goods such as potatoes, onions, cherries and rice, the embassy said.

The embassy said it will ease visa restrictions and adopt other measures to encourage more Pakistani businessmen to visit China for trade and business opportunities.

Ahmad has already found a business opportunity in China. He learnt that as China's was tightening environmental supervision over domestic companies, its paper and board industry was facing a shortage of supplies. Ahmad sees this as an opportunity and believes Pakistan is China's best choice to meet the demand and import renewable paper and board products from his country.

Pakistan's paper and board industry has a comparative advantage to others, and Ahmad is confident about his company's competitiveness.

Editors: Bivash

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Keywords:   World Bank,Pakistan