Shehbaz guarantees facilitation, security to Chinese investments. Invites Huawei to invest in Pakistan’s safe city, taxation, e-governance sectors. PM visits Nanshan one-stop centre; directs to replicate model in Pakistan. Lauds President Xi’s dynamic and visionary role for making China as world’s economic and military power. Chinese show interest in investing in Pak mobile phones, e-bikes, Fint

SHENZHEN   -  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, assuring all-out facilitation to Chinese investors, and security of Chinese individuals, projects and investments in Pakistan, emphasised that mutually rewarding business-to-business cooperation was key to a bright future for the two people.

The prime minister, addressing the Pakistan-China Business Forum during his five-day China visit, highlighted bilateral trade and investment potential, especially in key sectors including transfer of Chinese technology, industry and partnership in IT, agriculture, mining, steel, textiles and renewable energy.

The prime minister repeatedly lauded the Chinese model of development and economic transformation and vowed to replicate the same in Pakistan.

“I will go back to Pakistan with this resolve, come what may, we will follow this model of great economic transformation in Pakistan. This model is enough to copy and simulate if we are sincere to our purpose and people. By God, I can tell you this is difficult but not impossible,” he told the gathering of hundreds of business leaders from Pakistan and China.

As the Business Forum also marked the B2B matchmaking, he urged the Pakistani businessmen to sit with their Chinese counterparts and find out ways to move Chinese textile industries to Pakistan and make joint collaborations in steel and other industries.

“Today is the opportunity, time and moment to capture. Sit down with Chinese friends to have serious discussions. I want to ensure you not as prime minister but as Chief Executive of Pakistan that I will give you the fullest support so that businessmen of Pakistan and China get benefits jointly,” he remarked.

He informed the Forum that Pakistan had mineral deposits of around $10 trillion while the country’s exports stood at $30 billion. The minerals deposits offer huge potential to dig out and convert them into finished and semi-finished goods for exports, he added. He assured the Chinese side that his government had already initiated structural changes in Pakistan to control corruption.

He drew a comparison between the $500 billion GDP of the 13-million city of Shenzhen and the $380 billion GDP of Pakistan with 250 million population and called it the Chinese city’s swift transformation a “miracle of this century” and the “eighth wonder of the world”, necessitating for others to learn the lesson from.

He appreciated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s dynamic and visionary leadership which elevated his country to become the second-largest economy and military power within a short span of time and steered 700 million people out of poverty, despite pressures and challenges.

Referring to a terror attack on Chinese workers in Besham in the recent past, the prime minister conveyed his condolence for the “dastardly and heart-wrenching” incident and called it “one of the saddest” days of his life when the whole nation felt saddened.

He said the government had taken various measures to ensure foolproof security to protect the lives of Chinese workers in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the Huawei headquarters here and invited the company to invest in Pakistan’s taxation and e-governance sectors besides enhancing its presence in Pakistan’s Safe City projects.

On his arrival at the headquarters, Huawei Chairman Liang Hua welcomed him which followed the playing of national anthems and his visit of the Exhibition Center.

The chairman briefed the prime minister about Huawei’s operations worldwide, particularly in Pakistan and expressed keen interest in investing in the country’s different sectors. He was also briefed about different sectors including e-governance, digital banking, telecommunication and artificial intelligence.

Prime Minister Shehbaz, who is on a five-day visit to China, appreciated the innovative operations of Huawei and urged the company to increase its investment in Pakistan.

The prime minister, who later held a bilateral meeting with Chairman Liang Hua along with his delegation, appreciated the Safe City projects executed by Huawei in Pakistan and invited the company to invest in the projects, particularly in the cities where the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects were being executed.

He apprised the company chairman of the steps taken by the government for the promotion of investment and ease of doing business in the country.

The prime minister, highlighting the government’s priority measures for digitisation of government offices, said there existed immense investment potential for giants like Huawei in the taxation system, e-governance, and artificial intelligence.

He also invited the Huawei chairman to invest in the introduction of modern technology in the agriculture sector and also invited the Huawei chairman to visit Pakistan.

Later, the prime minister also attended the signing ceremony of a framework agreement between Huawei and Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology under which the company would impart free of charge training to around 200,000 youngsters in information technology including artificial intelligence. Besides, the company would also extend its support to Pakistan in the establishment of Safe Cities, e-governance and digitisation of the economy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited the Nanshan One-Stop Service Center and Shenzhen Exhibition Museum and directed his ministers to immediately coordinate with the Center to replicate a similar modern system in Pakistan.

On his arrival at the Center, the prime minister was received by Member of Party Leadership Government of Shenzhen Nanshan District Peoples Government and Deputy Mayor Li Zhinha.

He was briefed about the digital system established at the Center to register companies and carry out other processes under one roof. He lauded the modern systems developed at the Nanshan One-Stop Services for the registration of companies and businesses.

The prime minister instructed Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Secretary IT and other relevant authorities to hold discussions with the Center to establish an identical modern system in Pakistan.

He also directed the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to establish a similar system in the country with Chinese cooperation. He also instructed the authorities concerned to introduce a similar modern and swift system in Pakistan to provide basic facilities to the common citizens as well.

The prime minister visited Shenzhen Exhibition Museum where he was briefed about the development journey of the Shenzhen city. He took a round of different sections of the museum and appreciated the city’s transformation within a short period.

Later, Chairman of Chinese firm Transsion Holdings Zhu Zhaojiang called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here and conveyed his company’s interest in enhancing investment in mobile phone manufacturing unit and investing in electric bikes, modern agriculture, mobile phone manufacturing and Fintech sectors.

The prime minister urged the relevant federal ministers and Pakistan’s Ambassador in China to formulate an early strategy, in coordination with the Chinese company.

He said the incumbent government was extending all-out-facilitation to foreign investors and businessmen. He also invited Transsion Holdings to manufacture goods in Pakistan for export purposes, citing the country’s immense resources and youth bulge.

Zhu Zhaojiang apprised the prime minister of his company’s current operations in Pakistan, global exports and the future plans to enhance investment in Pakistan.

It was told that the company had already established a mobile phone manufacturing unit in Pakistan providing employment to around 5,000 Pakistani workers. He said the company desired to expand its investment in the mobile phone industry which would also increase mobile phone export from Pakistan.