Islamabad, Sep 25: Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and President Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve ties between China and Pakistan, notably in the areas of technology, trade, and investment.
Nawaz Sharif highlighted the strong ties between Pakistan and China during the meeting, calling China a reliable partner and expressing gratitude for the two countries’ close ties. “We are proud of our relationship with this great nation,” he declared, emphasizing Punjab’s openness to working with China on projects involving infrastructure and cutting-edge technology.
With a vision of economic cooperation with China, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said, “Together, we can achieve economic miracles.” She underlined Punjab’s willingness to welcome Chinese investment and disclosed plans to establish unique “Chinese Economic Zones,” which would provide Chinese companies with exclusive access to infrastructure and incentives. Maryam Nawaz also commended China’s model for reducing poverty, pointing out that Pakistan might benefit from it.
The humanitarian initiatives launched by Maryam Nawaz in Punjab, like the Tractor Scheme and Nexan Card, which promote the agriculture industry, were highly praised by Ambassador Jiang Zedong. He declared that China will continue to support Punjab’s agricultural sector and that 1,000 Pakistani farmers would be trained in contemporary farming methods by Chinese professionals.
Jiang Zedong declared, “China will warmly welcome Punjab’s involvement in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)”. Additionally, he invited Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to China, an invitation that she kindly accepted to become the first female Chief Minister of Pakistan to be granted.
Regarding the future of relations between China and Pakistan, both parties voiced optimism. When Nawaz Sharif considered the accomplishments of his former administration, the Chinese ambassador acknowledged that bilateral relations had reached unprecedented levels at that time.
