Govt to send 1,000 students to China for latest agri-training: PM

XI’AN/BEIJING: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said the government would send a batch of 1,000 students to Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Base, China, for seeking the latest training in agriculture field.

The prime minister decided that the government would bear their expenses and directed the ambassador of Pakistan in China and other relevant officials to give a final shape to this decision in consultation with the Chinese authorities, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister also invited the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University to open its campus in Pakistan and in this regard, assured it of all possible support from the government.

The prime minister visited the Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Base and took round of its different sections and the Pakistani Pavilion, showcasing Pakistani products. During a briefing, he was apprised of that a total of 26 countries were cooperating over agricultural research being carried out in the base. Pakistan was the pioneer country that cooperated in the base. The prime minister was also told about the Pakistani scientists and the Pakistani universities participating in the research work.

During the visit, the prime minister said that Pakistan was an agricultural country and keen for innovations to increase their agri-yield per acre. He said that increasing the country’s exports by enhancing agriculture products and their processing were among the top priorities of the government.

Meanwhile, Chairman of POWERCHINA, Ding Yanzhang, has called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his state visit to Beijing, China. According to a POWERCHINA press release received here on Saturday, both sides held in-depth discussions on promoting cooperation in areas such as energy and power planning, clean energy development, and major projects under construction in Pakistan. POWERCHINA has actively participated in the construction of the CPEC by leveraging its own resource advantages, investing in and constructing a series of landmark and influential projects, which have played a positive role in improving Pakistan’s energy structure and enhancing energy security.

Also, Prime Minister Shehbaz’s five-day visit of China and his meetings with top Chinese leadership and Chinese government officials have received extensive coverage in electronic and print media. The prime minister has been in headlines of Global Television Network (CGTN) and CCTV, China’s prominent English and Chinese language news channels and newspapers such as Global Times, China Daily, People’s Daily, China Economic Net and a large number of other Chinese newspapers and news websites. China state-run Xinhua News Agency interviewed the prime minister ahead of his visit while the Global Times published the prime ministers’ op-ed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday underlined the need to leverage sister-city relationships of Xi’an with Lahore and Multan through practical cooperation at city-to-city level to promote bilateral cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, and tourism. The prime minister, along with his delegation met Party Secretary of Shaanxi province in Xi’an, China Zhao Yide. In the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz and Party Secretary Zhao discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including trade, technology, agricultural and cultural exchanges.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by the Pakistani delegation, visited the historical site of China, Terracotta Warriors Museum on Saturday. The visit was part of an invitation extended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to the prime minister to visit the museum in his hometown, Xi’an.