Islamabad, Sep 20: Chinese businesses, particularly those based in Shaanxi province, were extended an invitation to engage in Pakistan’s energy and petroleum industries by Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik on Friday.
During the opening speech of the China-Pakistan Conference for Economic and Trade Cooperation, held in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, on the sidelines of the 8th Silk Road International Expo, he stated: “A news release received here stated that top Pakistani companies that specialize in coal and petroleum upstream, midstream, and downstream were looking to work with Shaanxi Companies to collaborate through investment, joint ventures, and technology transfer.”
He emphasized that this was a component of Pakistan’s larger drive to draw in foreign direct investment in order to support energy production and infrastructure, two areas that are essential to the socioeconomic development of the nation.
He emphasized initiatives to strengthen collaboration at the provincial level, with an emphasis on improving business-to-business connections in industries including technology, mining, and petroleum and energy. The Minister stated that the 8th Silk Road International Expo was a celebration of the cooperative spirit that characterizes Pakistan-China ties, rather than just commerce and investment.
The minister pointed out that in addition to being infrastructure projects, the Belt and Road Initiative and its centerpiece, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, were also global platforms for peace, prosperity, and development. The minister restated Pakistan’s dedication to collaborating with other countries to foster win-win cooperation that will lead to shared growth, sustainable development, and enduring friendship.
The minister expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and the Shaanxi provincial government for their cooperation in setting up the conference on the fringes of the 8th Silk Road International Expo.
In addition, he expressed gratitude to the Shaanxi government for inviting Pakistan to be the Guest Country of Honor and for helping to arrange the Pakistan Pavilion at the exhibition. He emphasized the importance of the Xian and Shaanxi provinces as the origins of both the President Xi Jinping-initiated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the historic Silk Road.
According to Dr. Musadik Malik, Pakistan’s involvement in the expo is a concrete response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s earlier-in-the-year visit to Xi’an. Our enduring friendship and strategic alliance are built on a foundation of great mutual trust, benefit, and support. He declared, “We are determined to deepen our unwavering partnership with China in the fields of energy, the economy, commerce, investment, and other sectors.
The Minister emphasized Pakistan and China’s solid and growing partnership.The speaker underscored the significance of bilateral economic collaboration, namely within the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which continues to be a pivotal element of Pakistan’s progress plan.
