Chinese entrepreneurs being encouraged to invest in Pakistan: Ambassador Hashmi

BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China, Ms. Naghmana A. Hashmi Tuesday said that efforts would be doubled to attract and encourage large and medium size Chinese entrepreneurs through various facilities and incentives for investment in industrial zones set up under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan.“Now, we have entered the second phase of CPEC and we will speed up our efforts to attract China’s large and medium size enterprises by offering facilities and incentives for the investment in industrial zones which will practically expand our economy,” she told APP here.Ambassador Hashmi, who has also served as deputy head of mission in China in the past said that Pakistan’s four consulates in China would make all-out efforts to increase interaction with Chinese companies on economic and commercial level to ensure investment and joint ventures in Pakistan.She expressed the confidence that the Chinese investment would generate employment opportunities for the local people and enhance Pakistan’s exports beside it would be mutually beneficial for both countries.Ambassador Hashmi noted with satisfaction that a number of energy, transport, and infrastructure development projects had been completed in the first phase of CPEC while the work on several other projects was near to completion.While commenting on relations between Pakistan and China, she pointed out that the all-weather friendship between the two countries was a unique example in the world.“This is not only a bilateral friendship but a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, which is deep rooted and exemplary,” she added.Ambassador Hashmi, who arrived in Beijing last week to take up her new assignment after serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, observed that the friendship was progressing and deepening with the passage of time under the vision of the leadership of two countries, adding, the entire nation was unanimous over Pakistan’s friendship with China.“Both countries have complete coordination and cooperation on the regional and international issues including Afghanistan,” she added.Prime Minister Imran Khan was focusing on poverty alleviation, education, health and agriculture sectors and there was a need to expedite efforts to implement his vision to bring about socio-economic development in the country.For this purpose, the government was focusing to replicate the Chinese model to alleviate poverty from the country, as China lifted 700 people out of poverty in four decades, she added.Both the countries were also cooperating in the field of defense, science, and technology besides cultural exchanges and people to people contacts, she added.