BEIJING, Sept 17 (INP): Pakistan will further boost Pak-China cooperation through newly appointed honourable Investment Counsellors, said Pakistan Ambassador Moin ul Haque.

According to Gwadar Pro, eight newly appointed Investment Counsellors have been approved by the Board of Investment (BOI). It will help Pakistan and China  moving ahead to forge close practical cooperation in trade and investments sector.

" I believe the investment counsellors will play an important role in further facilitating Pak-China trade and investment,” said  Moin ul Haque at the Honourable Investment Counsellor Awarding Ceremony held here at the Pakistan Embassy.

He noted that he expected the investment counsellors to help build Pakistan’s image in China by encouraging people-to-people exchanges, cultural activities between the two countries and facilitating the sisterhood between Chinese and Pakistani cities to help develop Pakistani cities and provinces.

Mr Haque also expected the investment counsellors to boost bilateral trade since the Pakistani government gives Chinese investors preferential policies. “Pakistan is an ideal destination for investment.

We have a favourable geographical position and a huge market of 20 million people, and a large young workforce. In addition, we have a very good foundation in industries such as textile, vehicle manufacturing, medicine, manufacturing, information technology.”

Echoing the ambassador in the role of the honorable investment counsellor,  Wu Yongqiang, Member of All-China Youth Federation (AYF), offered three suggestions.

A first step is to familiarise the investment counsellors with Pakistan's policies and regulations, market demands and religious and folk taboos to facilitate investment activities.

He said that Pakistan should set up a contact and communication mechanism where Pakistani experts can communicate with the investment counsellors to understand each other’s market demand and supply, adding that a mechanism for regular research and visits should be established to be better informed of potential areas for cooperation.

Offering suggestions on future bilateral cooperation, Mr Fang Qiuchen, Chairman of the China International Contractors Association (CICA), said enterprises should focus on the construction of new infrastructure by adopting 5G and the new-generation technologies.

" Both countries show great promises to develop data centres, AI-powered network and smart cities, which will promote bilateral industrial upgrading.” He added, both countries should stick to sustainable development and promote green-minded enterprises and technologies to put in place energy-saving projects.

Mr Fang also mentioned that both sides should make concerted efforts to grapple with challenges in the process to speed up projects under construction and build a favourable, safe business environment for investors.

"Recent attacks against Chinese nationals in Pakistan have raised alarm among Chinese investors, and we expect Pakistan to beef up security measures and protect Chinese projects and employees in Pakistan.”

In response to security concerns and potential challenges, Mr Haque said the Monday meeting between Pakistani Prime Minster Imran Khan and representatives of Chinese enterprises in Pakistan signalled Pakistan’s resolve to deal with difficulties and issues in bilateral cooperation.

Concluding the ceremony, Mr Haque conferred certificates upon the eight newly-appointed appointed honorable investment counsellors, including Fang Qiuchen, Chairman of the China International Contractors Association (CICA), Du Zhenli, Director of Overseas Economic Cooperation Department of the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC), Mr Wu Yongqiang, Member of All-China Youth Federation (AYF), Wang Zihai, Ms Duan Xiao, CEO of Beijing Huiyu Import and Export Trading Co., Ltd., Chen Xinsheng, Jian Peng, and Ms Li Yiman, CEO of Eman Logistic.

INP/javed