XI’AN: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by the Pakistani delegation visited the historical site of China, Terracotta Warriors Museum on Saturday.
The visit was part of an invitation extended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to the prime minister to visit the museum in his hometown, Xi’an.
During the visit the prime minister and the delegation were briefed on the preservation and restoration of historical heritage and the promotion of tourism.
PM Shehbaz, who is on a five-day official visit to China, visited various sections of the museum and commended the beauty of ancient Chinese heritage and the skill of Chinese artisans.
“Great nations protect and take care of their historical assets like the Chinese do”, he said adding that the skill of the Chinese craftsmen of 200 BC was admirable.
The prime minister also appreciated the Chinese government’s efforts in preserving and restoring the historical site saying that Pakistan was also rich in historical and cultural heritage. He said the government would also restore and promote its own historical sites as tourist destinations.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday underlined the need to leverage sister-city relationships of Xi’an with Lahore and Multan through practical cooperation at city-to-city level to promote bilateral cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, and tourism.
The prime minister, along with his delegation met Party Secretary of Shaanxi province in Xi’an, China Zhao Yide.
In the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz and Party Secretary Zhao discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including trade, technology, agricultural and cultural exchanges.
They reaffirmed commitment to further deepen Pakistan-China strategic cooperation, including through promotion of B2B linkages and cultural exchanges. They agreed to strengthen local and provincial level cooperative partnerships between Pakistan and China for mutual prosperity.
Underscoring Xi’an’s historical significance as a center of cultural and economic exchanges between the East and the West in the Ancient Silk Road, the prime minister emphasized continued collaboration between Pakistan and Shaanxi province in people-to-people exchanges particularly in the culture, tourism and education domains.
The prime minister said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was growing from strength to strength with a focus on high quality development in the second phase. The two sides agreed to strengthen economic cooperation through joint ventures in agriculture, bio-pharmaceuticals, automobile manufacturing, mining, chemicals and textiles sectors.
Secretary Zhao briefed the prime minister on the historical significance of Shaanxi province and provided an overview of Shaanxi’s economic and social development highlighting its status as one of the fastest growing regions of China.
The prime minister said that China’s phenomenal development and support to the developing countries was an inspiration for Pakistan. He invited the state owned and private enterprises from Shaanxi province to benefit from the investor friendly policy framework and regulatory measures in Pakistan.
He thanked the leadership of the Shaanxi province and the Xi’an city for facilitating Pakistani citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic.
