BEIJING, Sept. 6 (INP): As 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque noted that the Government of Pakistan is stepping up to facilitate the exchanges and cooperation between both countries. According to China Economic Net (CEN), this year, at the ongoing 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (2023 CIFTIS) - one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services - companies from Pakistan's secondary and tertiary industries such as finance, logistics, aviation and artificial intelligence attracted many visitors. The 2023 CIFTIS witnessed the flourishing business of these Pakistani merchants.  Many of them attended exhibitions in China for the first time, showcasing Pakistan's service industry to visitors from all over the world.

Prestige International, which launched Pakistan's first National Pavilion on JD.com (Jingdong), China's famous e-commerce platform, set up a booth to showcase Pakistani products including tea, biscuits and rice.  A manager in charge of international trade told the reporter that the products they selected were of good quality and at fair prices.  Coupled with the help of boosting e-commerce in China, they are confident about the future of these Made-in-Pakistan products in China. National Logistics Corporation (NLC), one of Pakistan's leading logistics companies, attended the fair for the first time and hoped to explore more in the Chinese market.  In a significant development towards boosting bilateral trade and the operationalization of CPEC, the company achieved another milestone by starting regular cargo service from Islamabad and Karachi to Kashgar and Shanghai for export as well as import shipments in June.

Pakistani jeweler Aqeel Ahmed Chaudhry, who is also the founder of WINZA from Pakistani gemstone firm Cosmo Enterprises PvT. Ltd., told CEN that there were more visitors year on year.  Also, Muhammad Kamil Khan, CEO of Pak Link Enterprises, has been participating in the fair for three consecutive years.  Being an old friend at the fair, his products attracted many visitors onsite. Besides the above companies, Special Technology Zone Authority (STZA), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), NETSOL Technologies, ISBEI also set up booths at the Pakistan Pavilion, hoping to expand their presence in China, the world's second-largest economy. Scheduled from September 2 to 6, the 2023 CIFTIS is held at the China National Convention Center and Shougang Park in Beijing. 

Since its launch in 2012, the fair has attracted over 600,000 exhibitors from 196 countries and regions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China