With China's economic development entering a new stage, the construction of overseas trade cooperation zones has become an effective way and measure for China's economic development under the globalization strategy. Under the guidance and support of national policies, after investment and construction for eight years, the trade cooperation zones abroad through investment by domestic enterprises not only promotes the implementation of "Going Global" strategy, but also provides a platform for domestic enterprises to invest abroad.
Pakistan China Trade & Investment Forum in Beijing
The development of the B&R and CPEC construction, as well as various preferential policies and abundant resources provided by Pakistan have attracted a large number of Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan. Pakistan China Trade & Investment Forum sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan was held on the morning of April 28th, 2019 in Beijing. The Forum positively responded to the achievements of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, fully demonstrated the trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan brought by the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, and acted as a platform for entrepreneurs of the two countries to effectively hold B2B conferences, effectively pushing forward the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and CPEC construction.
Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, have a friendly talk
Chunxian ZHANG, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, and Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, have a friendly talk
Before the Forum, Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Chunxian ZHANG, Member of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, received Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, and RDI platform enterprise delegation, and had a friendly talk together. ZHAO said that since 2015, BRI International Think Tank of CASS and RDI, together with the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China had successfully held two sessions of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (Xinjiang Karamay) Forum. The Forum had served as an important platform for China-Pakistan exchanges and cooperation, pushing forward the cooperation of the two countries in fields such as energy, transportation, ports, agriculture, bio-medicine and industrial park construction, and further promoting the development of emerging industries and information industry. She hoped that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Forum 2019 would be held in Islamabad with the support of Pakistan, so as to realize China-Pakistan industrial connection and enhance industrial capacity and economic strength by focusing on regional cooperation and industrial development, broadening the platform for enterprise cooperation, and serving key industries under the goal of promoting China-Pakistan economic development and improving people's livelihood. The proposal received the acknowledgment and support from Imran KHAN and Chunxian ZHANG.
Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chunxian ZHANG, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Shah Mahmood QURESHI, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and Masood KHALID, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, attended the Forum and delivered speeches. Saquib SHIRAZI, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Business Council, delivered a speech entitled Business Opportunities between China and Pakistan.
Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Chunxian ZHANG, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, attend the Opening Ceremony of the Forum
Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, delivers a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Forum
Imran KHAN said that the B&R is the cornerstone of long-tested China-Pakistan friendship. He believed that the bilateral cooperation in trade and investment would tremendously help further strengthen the bilateral economic relations. China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement aims to expand market access and create more investment opportunities for Chinese enterprises to produce in and export to Pakistan. In addition to the market access opportunities brought about by the revision of the Agreement, entrepreneurs of the two countries will also exchange rich expertise and resources with each other to smoothly promote projects in Pakistan, so that Pakistan can meet the global demand for import. CPEC not only links Pakistan with China, but also helps to build a connectivity framework among South, Central and West Asian countries to a great extent, which will bring great prosperity and success.
Chunxian ZHANG, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, delivered a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Forum
ZHANG said that Pakistan is the only all-weather strategic partner of China. The two countries trust, support and help each other all the time. The China-Pakistan friendship has gone through the rapid changes of the international community and has always stood solid as a rock. China has become the largest trading partner and the largest FDI source country of Pakistan for many years. China and Pakistan shall continue to expand cooperation in economic trade and investment to create more welfare for the two peoples and contribute more strength to the rapid and healthy development of the regional economy, thus realizing the sustainable goal of benefiting people with high standard. There are a good foundation and favorable conditions between the two countries in this regard. Pakistan's infrastructure condition is significantly improved owing to the stable upgrading of CPEC construction and the completion of the bilateral transportation and energy cooperation projects. Leaders of the two countries have pushed forward the expansion of cooperation in the fields of industry, agriculture and social livelihood for CPEC construction. China-Pakistan cooperation has reached a new height regardless of the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world. Each country shall work together to better build the global economy and safeguard the multilateral trading system, so as to guide the healthy development of economic globalization.
Masood KHALID, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, delivers a keynote speech
Masood KHALID said that China was the largest trading partner and FDI source country of Pakistan. The implementation of the second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement has laid a solid foundation for the development of bilateral trade in the future and paved the way for Pakistan's commodities exporting to the broad Chinese market. In addition, it would also make Pakistan more attractive as an investment destination. The unique friendship between Pakistan and China has always been firm regardless of the complicated changes in the regional and international situations. In the new era, China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership is becoming increasingly important in terms of economy. With the launch of the CPEC, the relationship between China and Pakistan has become increasingly important. As the flagship project of China's BRI, the CPEC aims to bring tangible economic benefits to the Pakistani and the Chinese people.
At the Forum, witnessed by Imran KHAN, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Keqiang LI, Prime Minister of the State Council of the P.R.C., Jianhua YU, Deputy Secretary of Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C. and Deputy Delegate for International Trade Negotiations signed Amending Protocol to the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (hereinafter referred to as the "Protocol") with Masood KHALID, Ambassador of Pakistan to China. The core content of the Protocol is to further improve trade liberalization in goods between the two countries on the basis of the original Free Trade Agreement. After the Protocol comes into force, the proportion of the tax items of products free of duty between the two countries will increase from 35% to 75%, and the liberalization level will be doubled, which will greatly promote the export of Pakistan and promote the bilateral trade balance, thus providing huge space for the integrative cooperation between the outstanding enterprises of the two countries.
Shah Mahmood QURESHI, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Zukang SHA, President of China-Pakistan Friendship Association and Former Deputy-Secretary of the UN, and Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, have a friendly talk
Zukang SHA, President of China-Pakistan Friendship Association and Former Deputy-Secretary of the UN, Jing YAO, Ambassador of China to Pakistan, Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, as well as an enterprise delegation composed of RDI platform enterprises, 100 Chinese enterprises and 50 enterprises from Pakistani industrial and service industries attended the conference. Delegates of RDI platform enterprises had in-depth discussions on cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure, AI, electronic technology and biotechnology with Pakistani enterprises.
Baige ZHAO, Chair of Advisory Committee of RDI, and Entrepreneur Delegates of RDI Platform Enterprises at the Forum
At the Forum, RDI recommended 13 RDI platform enterprises, including China International Contractors Association, Sichuan Energy Industry Investment Group Co., Ltd., Zhenfa Holding Group Co., Ltd., PowerChina International Group Limited, China Three Gorges International Corporation, China Railway Construction Co., Ltd., China Overseas Ports Holdings Limited, Representative Office of China State Construction Engineering Corporation in Pakistan, China National Chemical Engineering Group Co., Ltd., CETC International Co., Ltd., Tellhow Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Wuhan Landing Medical High-Tech Co., Ltd. and iFLYTEK Co., Ltd., to support the high-quality development of innovative technology enterprises.
CPEC, as the flagship project of B&R construction, undertakes the extension of China's industrial chain. RDI will join hands with enterprises on its platform to actively participate in China-Pakistan cooperation and respond to BRI, helping Pakistan to realize industrialization and providing more driving force and support for Pakistan's independent economic development, so as to jointly build a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
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