ISLAMABAD:,,, Caretaker Minister for Commerce and Industry Dr Gohar on Saturday left for China with a high-profile trade delegation as part of the ‘Vision Pakistan USD 100 billion’.
The Commerce Minister’s this visit to China is a follow-up to the visit of the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to China in October this year, according to a statement issued here on Saturday.
The sectors to be covered in the delegation’s visit include Agricultural, Electric Vehicles, Marble, Cement, Fertilizer, Fruit and Vegetable, Home Appliances, Glass, Chemicals and Textiles.
This multi-segmental delegation representing the business sector of Pakistan will hold meetings with their counterparts in China for trade and investment and formation of joint ventures. On the sidelines of the official visit, B2B meetings have been arranged for the members of the delegation.
In Beijing, the meetings are scheduled to be held with the officials of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, various product Associations and China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export.
The delegation will also meet with the CEO of the COFCO Group (which is a state-owned food processing holding company and China’s largest food processor, manufacturer and trader and Asia’s leading agribusinesses group).
A delegation from the Weifang Steel Group will also call on the Minister. The company specializes in Agritech, food processing, fertilizers and edible oil. The delegation will also visit Zhongguancun which is a major technology hub near Beijing and is also known as the China’s Silicon Valley.
The Minister is set to meet the management of Chengdu Century Intending Investment Management (CENTINCO) which is a comprehensive industrial investment management corporation. CENTINCO has shown interest in development of an Export Processing Zone in Gwadar.
The Minister will also attend a Business Networking Dinner which is likely to be attended by more than a hundred Chinese enterprises. This will be followed by his online participation in the Min-Ministerial of WTO on special invitation of the UAE Commerce Minister.
In a first, the delegation will also visit Suzhou City, which is situated close to Shanghai in Jiangsu province, and is a leading commercial and industrial hub of East China. This visit is a first by any Commerce Minister of Pakistan and any delegation from Pakistan.
The Minister would also take part in the unveiling of the Changshu ‘One Belt and One Road’ Centre. Speaking to media before leaving, the Minister highlighted the importance of private sector collaboration as the next step in strengthening the Pak-China relationship.
He said SMEs are the key to Pakistan’s prosperity and progress. The Commerce Minister will also brief the Chinese investors about the crucial role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in streamlining their investments.
The Minister said that Pakistan is focusing on sectors such as agriculture, mining, new energy, and IT under the framework of the SIFC.