BEIJING, Apr 01 (APP): Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Hussain Haider has emphasised the significant progress, huge potential and good momentum of China-Pakistan trade exchanges.
I believe enterprises in Karachi will establish more win-win cooperative relations with enterprises in the Chinese city of Yiwu and strengthen economic ties between the two countries, he said while speaking at a webinar on building China-Pakistan Trade Corridor.
The Consulate General of Pakistan in Shanghai will provide full support and facilitation services to promote such cooperation, he mentioned.
He said that the webinar demonstrated the determination of China and Pakistan, especially Yiwu and Karachi, to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations, CEN reported.
Mayor of Yiwu, Ye Bangrui highlighted that Yiwu has been working to establish itself as a powerhouse for import trade. At present, the city has gathered about 150,000 kinds of imported goods from more than 100 countries and regions.
Yiwu hopes to bring more Pakistani products to the city and the wider Chinese market, and enhance cooperation with Pakistan to share the dividends of China’s consumption upgrade, he added.
The mayor further said that in recent years, e-commerce in Yiwu has been booming, with cross-border e-commerce trade volume exceeding RMB 100 billion [or USD 15.72 billion] in 2021.
Since Yiwu is blessed with prospering cross-border e-commerce, bonded areas, live streaming, and efficient logistics, we hope to set up Pakistani merchandise pavilions in Yiwu to help Pakistan explore the Chinese market, revealed Ye.
Li Bijian, Consul General of China in Karachi, underlined Yiwu has served as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, especially for Pakistani cities like Karachi.
To further strengthen the existing friendly cooperation and relations, he proposed to promote bilateral trade, reduce trade deficit, and enhance two-way investment by making full use of the China-Pakistan free trade agreement (FTA).
Viable solutions will be devised to grapple with these issues, according to Wang Xiang, Director of Pakistan Purchasing Service Centre.
The webinar is also attended by Irfan Iqbal, President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Muhammad Idrees, President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Salman Aslam, President of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Chinese-funded financial institutions in Karachi, representatives of Pakistani businessmen in Yiwu.
The seminar was organised by Yiwu Municipal People’s Government and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) in partnership with bilateral governments and business sectors.
Yiwu is an important trading partner of Pakistan. Pakistan has set up the largest number of representative offices in Yiwu, with 300 to 500 residents living in the city.
