CHENGDU: Moin ul-Haque, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, expressed confidence that increased exports from Pakistan would enhance the confidence of Chinese enterprises.
He made this statement during a meeting with traders and businessmen from 50 enterprises in the Sichuan and Chongqing area at the China-Pakistan Economic and Cultural Exchange Incubation Center.
Moin ul-Haque also announced plans to establish a platform connecting the business communities of Sichuan and Punjab and invited the attendees to be part of this initiative.
Ghulam Qadir, the Commercial Counsellor, attended the meeting as well and highlighted the progress and potential of Pak-China cooperation. He emphasized agriculture as a key area of collaboration, citing Pakistan’s strength in this sector.
Qadir revealed that the protocol for exporting Pakistan’s dairy products was nearing completion, which would open up a $10 billion market. Additionally, Pakistani beef is set to be exported to China for the first time within a month, with the protocol for red pepper and other products also expected to be approved.
He further noted that China, with 30 million Muslims, had a significant demand for halal food and that Pakistani beef prices were significantly lower than China’s.
Following Qadir’s speech, several entrepreneurs expressed interest in obtaining contacts for Pakistani beef exporters.
Li Hongwu, the chairman of the Pakistan Sichuan Chamber of Commerce, expressed his satisfaction with the opening of channels for Pakistani beef importation to Chengdu, a goal that had been pursued for over four years.
He expressed optimism about the future of commercial cooperation between Sichuan and Pakistan, envisioning increasingly smooth collaboration.
Ghulam Qadir announced plans for an international food and agriculture expo in Karachi in August and expressed hopes of involving over 50 companies from Chengdu. He also discussed Pakistan’s interest in cooperation in new technologies, particularly drones.
Qadir acknowledged China’s leading position in drone manufacturing and expressed the need for more cooperation in civil use, particularly in the agricultural sector and disaster management.