ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has said that China would provide Pakistan with technical ‘know-how’ and relevant expertise to increase exports and assist successful execution of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs), under the CPEC project.
The minister said that while addressing an international seminar here on Tuesday, adding that Pakistan has requested China not to give us fish, [but] teach us how to catch the fish. He said that Pakistan required Chinese assistance to enhance its exports and successful execution of the SEZs, adding that China has pledged to attach its experts with the concerned quarters in Pakistan.
Pakistan Requires Export-Oriented Policies
Ahsan Iqbal remarked that Pakistan required export-oriented policies to have sustainable economic growth and needed clamping ‘export emergency’ to get exponential exports not incremental ones.
He also underscored the importance of having surplus production of various items to enhance exports of the country, otherwise, it could cause ‘local market distortion.
The minister noted that the next phase of the CPEC would be business-to-business cooperation, not government-to-government, as both sides were all set to move towards industrial cooperation.
The Minister also apprised that the Gulf countries were showing keen interest in investing in diverse fields of Pakistan, including information technology, agriculture, mining, and energy, for which a Special Investment Facilitation Council had been established.
The seminar titled “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at Ten: A Gateway to Regional Connectivity” was organized by Islamabad Policy Research Institution (IPRI).
IPRI President Ambassador Dr Raza Muhammad, former SAPM on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor, Director Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS) Sargodha University Fazul ur Rehman, Director China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) Dr Hu ShiSheng and Sohail Malik of Team Lead Climate Resourcing Coordination Center (CRC) were among the leading speakers who shared their views at a panel discussion of the seminar and emphasized the significance of China-Pakistan relations besides various aspects of the game-changer CPEC project.
