12 April 2004	Monday	21 Safar 1425

PESHAWAR, April 11: China will set up a number of mega projects in the Frontier province to boost agriculture, trade and economic activities.

China will also establish a dry port, a cement factory, an international marketing and shopping centre, a leather factory unit, an automobile industry and plans to transfer technology for the agriculture and economic development in the province.

This was stated by Yuan Jianmin, Director of Sinotrans, who led a delegation of Chinese industrialists, during a meeting with Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani here on Saturday. Mr Jianmin said that Chinese experts would soon visit the Frontier province to prepare feasibility reports for the setting up of these projects.

The delegation also informed the chief minister about a flight plan from Kashghar to Peshawar via Uroonchi and Kabul. Mr Durrani in his remarks on the occasion said that Pakistan-China friendship was time-tested and was getting strengthen with the passage of time.

He appreciated the cooperation of China and added that it was the love of China towards Pakistanis that it wanted to help the government and the people of the Frontier province in setting up of mega projects. Mr Durrani appreciated the Chinese offer and said that MMA's government had opened up all sectors for domestic and foreign investments.

The chief minister said that the provincial government gave unmatched facilities and improved law and order situation suited for investment. He also referred to the communication sector development, particularly Torkhum-Jalalabad and Bannu-Ghulam Khan roads that would facilitate the land route business in the entire region right from the Frontier province to the Central Asian Republics via Afghanistan.