Pakistan to get guest of honour status at Shanghai Expo

ISLAMABAD: China says Pakistan could get ample opportunity for balancing bilateral trade by participating in the forthcoming Shanghai international expo.

Currently, the bilateral trade is heavily in favour of China, and the Chinese government wishes, it should be corrected and there should be more imports from Pakistan, said Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing.

The trade imbalance is a matter of concern for him, and he is all-out to improve this situation, he remarked while talking to group of local media. Yao Jing said China welcomes Pakistan to participate in this Import Expo in Shanghai from November 5-10, 2018 as the Guest of Honor country. China cherished the special friendship with Pakistan and it is line with that spirit.

Pakistani businessmen may be allotted stalls at the expo free of cost. China encourages its private sector to have more and more interaction with the Pakistani side for bringing desired results in the bilateral trade.

The ambassador was confident that the business opportunities coming out from China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will considerably improve the trade volume between the two countries.

Promoting industrial parks in Pakistan and establishing special economic zones under CPEC will be a big step forward to this direction, he added. Expansion of China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) is already in process, Inspection and Quarantine requirements and other issues are going to be settled.

China also gives full consideration to the concerns of Pakistan in talks on CPFTA, creates all possible conditions, so as to resolve concerns as soon as possible. Meanwhile, more than 1,700 companies from across the world have applied to attend the Shanghai’s expo. Over 900 applicants have signed contracts for the expo. Among them, 34 percent of enterprises are from the Belt and Road countries and regions.

The import expo “shows China’s determination of opening-up and is set to be a launch place for the newest products,” said Sun Chenghai, deputy director of the China International Import Expo Bureau. The expo will be held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10. It will cover about 157,000 square meters.