BEIJING, Sept 2: Representatives of major Chinese companies reassured support to Pakistan, enhancing bilateral trade under the Early Harvest Programme (EHP), particularly through land route.

The assurance was held out at a business seminar held Friday at Urumqi, capital of China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The seminar was arranged to create awareness amongst the business community about the EHP, being launched from January 2006 under which the two countries will bring excise duty at zero rate on certain items.

The seminar was addressed, among others by Vice Governor of Xinjiang Region Chen Lei, Chinese ambassador in Islamabad Zhang Chunxiang and Pakistan ambassador to China Salman Bashir. It was jointly organized by the Export Promotion Bureau and Pakistan Embassy. Commercial counselor Shahid Mahmood told APP that the seminar was highly successful and it attracted about 250 businessmen from the two countries.—APP