ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of China to Pakistan Yao Jing has stressed upon the local business community to take active participation in CPEC projects as it offered them great potential to maximize business prospects from this historic mega development project.

He was talking to a delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its president Sheikh Amir Waheed, which called on him in his office.

Yao Jing said that Pakistani private sector should gear up for joint ventures and investment in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) being established in Pakistan under CPEC project as SEZs would offer them good scope for JVs and partnerships with Chinese counterparts. He said China has achieved fast economic development and Pakistan should take benefit from Chinese experience for accelerating its economic growth by developing close cooperation with China.

He said the trade balance between China and Pakistan was heavily in favor of China and Pakistani business community should step up efforts to further improve trade and exports with China. He assured that he would like to work with ICCI to promote strong connectivity between the private sectors of China and Pakistan.

Sheikh Amir Waheed, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, congratulated Jao Jing on being appointed as Ambassador of China for Pakistan and hoped that he would play role for taking bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and China to higher levels.

 He said Chinese embassy should share information with local chambers of commerce about the demand of Pakistani products in Chinese market that would help our private sector to take benefits from potential business opportunities existing for them in China.

He said CPEC was a good hope for Pakistan's better economic future and stressed that China Embassy should give a detailed briefing on CPEC in ICCI so that its members could become aware about how to take maximum advantage from this mega project. He emphasized that China should focus on technology transfer to Pakistan and share its expertise with Pakistani private sector so that business and industrial activities could flourish in our country. He said increasing influx of Chinese delegations to Pakistan showed their keen interest in CPEC and urged that CPEC should provide win-win opportunities to the private sectors of both countries.